[Bups-dis] Question on the Conditionals

[josh seigal]

I've noticed a not completely unrelated problem for the analysis of counterfactual conditionals (a problem for which, I am sure, there is a very easy solution).
 
The (putative) problem is this: a counterfactual is a subjunctive conditional where the falsity of the antecedent is assumed. However, it seems to me that, if this is the case, contradictions can easily be generated.
 
For example, take the counterfactual conditional (p É q). Using the above definition of counterfactuals, and the standard truth-conditions for conditionals, this comes out as true, since it antecedent, being counterfactual (ie contrary to fact) is false. However, this generates a problem when we notice that the counterfactual conditional (p É Øq), for the same reasons, also comes out true, hence yielding a contradiction.
 
As I’ve said, I’m sure there is a very easy way around this, and I’m sure it is no more than a superficial difficulty. It is just something I noticed when studying first-year logic and it is something that I haven’t got round to investigating further.> From: andrew.bacon at philosophy.ox.ac.uk> Date: Fri, 1 Aug 2008 17:18:38 +0100> To: rezakhs at yahoo.com> CC: bups-dis at bups.org> Subject: Re: [Bups-dis] Question on the Conditionals> > To reply to this message or start a new topic please email: BUPS-DIS at bups.org> -> > Hi Reza,> > > (if (P AND Q), then R), logically entails ( (if P, then R) OR (if Q, then R))> > One thing to note is that it's not clear that this *is* a logical entailment. We> should not confuse the above, which seems to be schematic for an inference form> couched in English, with the following, which is a logical entailment:> > > ((P & Q) -> R), logically entails ( (P -> R) \/ (Q -> R))> > One reason that first inference might fail is that if the English conditional> goes by a Stalnaker semantics, then it is not valid. What is possibly more> striking is that, if we go by a possible world semantics for conditionals, it is> no longer clear that "if ..., then ..." is a logical constant! It will depend on> the criteria of logicality for modal connectives.> > Also worth noting that the Stalnaker semantics appears to get the right verdict> for both your examples. We might just take this as a point for Stalnaker over> the material conditional analysis.> > Andrew> > > > > > > But there are dozens of examples which make trouble for this inference. E.g.:> > > > P: Diego is Jim's father> > Q: Mary is Jim's mother> > R: Diego and Mary are Jim's parents> > > > or may be a better one:> > > > P: I call her by her first name> > Q: I call her by her last name> > R: She loves it!> > > > The translation of the sentence at the left side does not match with the> equivalent sentence at the right side:> > > > For the first example, one might say it's a possible world conditional. (well> then try it with P: Plato is a fool. Q: Quine is a fool. R: Russell is a> fool.... still I think what is meant in the left side is different from what is> meant in the right side). But let's see the second example which works better:> > > > At the left side, the sentence tries to say that "she loves it if I call her> by her full name", while the second side says "she loves it either I call her by> her first name or her last name". > > > > This seems to be a famous problem. I saw the problem just recently; but there> was nothing on the solutions. Many of similar examples seemed to me to be> indicative conditionals and yet they got this translational problem. Any idea on> what should I look in? :-)> > > > Best,> > Reza> > > > > > __________________________________________________________> > Not happy with your email address?.> > Get the one you really want - millions of new email addresses available now at> Yahoo! http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/ymail/new.html> > _______________________________________________> > > > -> > Browse or search the BUPS-DIS archives, or unsubscribe from the mailing list> at: http://www.bups.org/mailinglist.shtml> > -- > Andrew Bacon> New College> 07830048336> http://users.ox.ac.uk/~lady1900> > _______________________________________________> > -> Browse or search the BUPS-DIS archives, or unsubscribe from the mailing list at: http://www.bups.org/mailinglist.shtml
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