Concept · Foundations

Counterfactual Conditional

A conditional of the form 'if it had been the case that P, it would have been the case that Q', evaluated by looking at the nearest possible worlds where P is true.

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Why it matters

Counterfactuals are how we reason about alternatives that never actually happened, and they do not behave like ordinary if-then conditionals.

Where this shows up

Units and lessons using this concept

Following the links will take you to the page where this term is introduced in context.

Units (1)

Modal Logic: Necessity, Possibility, and CounterfactualsStudents learn to reason about necessity, possibility, and counterfactual conditionals using the box and diamond operators, possible-worl…

Lessons (2)

Capstone: Modal Reasoning in Philosophy and ScienceModal Logic: Necessity, Possibility, and Counterfactuals Counterfactuals and Possible WorldsModal Logic: Necessity, Possibility, and Counterfactuals

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