Counterfactuals and Abduction
Samuel Cumming, Lauren Winans
Abstract
Open-access reader
Samuel Cumming, Lauren Winans
Abstract
Open-access reader
We argue that counterfactuals and indicative conditionals are not so different. Certain notorious differences previously observed between pairs of indicative and counterfactual sentences are actually due to the presence of an anti-abductive modal auxiliary (would) in the consequent of the counterfactual. But such auxiliaries, of which will is another example, span the counterfactual-indicative divide.
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We argue that counterfactuals and indicative conditionals are not so different. Certain notorious differences previously observed between pairs of indicative and counterfactual sentences are actually due to the presence of an anti-abductive modal auxiliary (would) in the consequent of the counterfactual. But such auxiliaries, of which will is another example, span the counterfactual-indicative divide.
Key concepts: Counterfactual conditional, Counterfactual thinking, Modal, Econometrics, Mathematical economics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Epistemology