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Counterfactuals in Language
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Subjunctive Conditional
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.
Consequent
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.
Contrary-to-Fact Imperative
Contrary-to-fact imperative is a prescription or command based on a counterfactual condition. Example: If you were the president, pass better laws!
Counterfactual Defeat
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.
Antecedent
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.
David Lewis
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.
Counterfactual Thinking
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.
Counterfactual
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.
Possible Worlds Semantics
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.
Modus Ponens
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.
Causal Dependence
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).
Backtracking Counterfactual
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.
Modus Tollens
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.
Subjunctive Uncertainty
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).
World Accessibility
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.
Counterfactual Dependence
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.
Centering
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.
Material Conditional
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.)
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