Logo
Pattern

Discover published sets by community

Explore tens of thousands of sets crafted by our community.

Counterfactuals in Language

18

Flashcards

0/18

Still learning
StarStarStarStar

Subjunctive Conditional

StarStarStarStar

A subjunctive conditional is a type of conditional sentence that describes potential situations that are not currently true. Example: Had you asked me, I would have helped.

StarStarStarStar

Consequent

StarStarStarStar

The consequent is the outcome or result in a conditional statement that follows from the antecedent. Example: In the statement 'If I were a bird, I would fly', 'I would fly' is the consequent.

StarStarStarStar

Contrary-to-Fact Imperative

StarStarStarStar

Contrary-to-fact imperative is a prescription or command based on a counterfactual condition. Example: If you were the president, pass better laws!

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual Defeat

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual defeat occurs when new information negates the basis of a counterfactual inference, undermining its validity. Example: I thought I would've won if I ran faster, but it turns out the race was rigged, so even running faster wouldn’t have helped.

StarStarStarStar

Antecedent

StarStarStarStar

The antecedent is the 'if' part of a conditional statement that specifies the condition in a counterfactual. Example: In the statement 'If I were a bird, I would fly', 'If I were a bird' is the antecedent.

StarStarStarStar

David Lewis

StarStarStarStar

David Lewis was a philosopher notable for developing possible worlds semantics for counterfactuals. Example: Lewis's idea is that the truth of a counterfactual depends upon the closeness of possible worlds where the antecedent is true.

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual Thinking

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual thinking refers to the psychological process of imagining alternative scenarios and outcomes that have not occurred in reality. Example: Wondering 'What if I had taken the other job?' reflects counterfactual thinking.

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual

StarStarStarStar

A counterfactual is a statement that discusses what would have been the case if a certain condition, contrary to fact, were true. Example: If I had woken up earlier, I would have caught the bus.

StarStarStarStar

Possible Worlds Semantics

StarStarStarStar

Possible worlds semantics is an approach to understanding counterfactuals that evaluates their truth in terms of accessibility to different 'possible worlds' where different conditions hold. Example: In some possible world, I did wake up early and caught the bus.

StarStarStarStar

Modus Ponens

StarStarStarStar

Modus Ponens is a rule of inference that states if a conditional statement ('if P then Q') is accepted, and the antecedent (P) holds, then the consequent (Q) can be concluded. Example: If it rains, the ground gets wet. It is raining, therefore the ground is wet.

StarStarStarStar

Causal Dependence

StarStarStarStar

Causal dependence refers to the notion that the truth of a counterfactual is dependent on the existence of a causal relationship between events. Example: If I had not studied, I would have failed the exam (assuming that studying is causally related to passing).

StarStarStarStar

Backtracking Counterfactual

StarStarStarStar

Backtracking counterfactuals consider changes in the past that would have to occur for the antecedent to be true, thereby altering the initial conditions. Example: If you had run faster, the race would have started later.

StarStarStarStar

Modus Tollens

StarStarStarStar

Modus Tollens is a rule of inference that states if a conditional statement ('if P then Q') is accepted, and the consequent (Q) does not hold, then the antecedent (P) can be concluded to be false. Example: If the car is out of gas, then it won't start. The car starts, therefore it is not out of gas.

StarStarStarStar

Subjunctive Uncertainty

StarStarStarStar

Subjunctive uncertainty refers to the indeterminate or unclear implications of a counterfactual conditional due to the open-ended nature of its consequent. Example: If you had left earlier, you might have avoided traffic (but it’s unclear if this is certainly true).

StarStarStarStar

World Accessibility

StarStarStarStar

World accessibility determines which possible worlds are considered relevant for evaluating the truth of a counterfactual. Example: A world where I am taller is accessible, but a world where 2+2=5 is not.

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual Dependence

StarStarStarStar

Counterfactual dependence is the relationship between two events that indicates one event (the consequent) would be different if the other event (the antecedent) were different. Example: The glass would not have shattered if it had not fallen.

StarStarStarStar

Centering

StarStarStarStar

Centering is a concept in the semantics of counterfactuals where a 'center world' (usually the actual world) is used as a reference point for assessing the truth of counterfactuals. Example: While imagining a world where I'm a singer, my current skills and preferences form the centering basis.

StarStarStarStar

Material Conditional

StarStarStarStar

A material conditional is a logical connective that is true unless a true antecedent leads to a false consequent. Example: If it is raining, then the ground is wet. (It can be raining without the ground being wet if someone covered the ground.)

Know
0
Still learning
Click to flip
Know
0
Logo

© Hypatia.Tech. 2024 All rights reserved.