counterfactual conditional
Quick Summary
Counterfactual conditionals are a type of conditional statement in logic where the antecedent (the "if" part) is false. This means the statement explores a hypothetical situation that did not actually happen. For example, "If Los Angeles were in Massachusetts, it would not be on the Pacific Ocean."1
The truth of counterfactuals is complex. Unlike material implication, where a conditional is true unless the antecedent is true and the consequent is false, counterfactuals require a deeper connection between the antecedent and consequent. One approach suggests a counterfactual is true if it holds in the possible world most similar to the actual one. The study of these conditionals is an extension of logic, exploring how to represent hypothetical reasoning.12
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