Definition of counterfactual in English:
counterfactual
adjectiveˌkaʊntəˈfaktʃʊəlˌkoun(t)ərˈfak(t)SH(əw)əl
Philosophy Relating to or expressing what has not happened or is not the case.
Example sentencesExamples
- Concerning ordinary physical objects, it is easy to imagine counterfactual cases where questions of identity become problematic.
- I also raise some questions concerning conceptual priority, and the issue of whether counterfactual analyses of causation are compatible with the view that causal relations are purely objective.
- My conclusion, then, has to do with other situations of enquiry than this one, often spoken of as counterfactual situations.
- This is to provide a sort of counterfactual analysis of the continued existence of unperceived objects.
- But to generate knowledge independently of experience, a priori warrants must produce warranted true belief in counterfactual situations where experiences are different.
nounˌkaʊntəˈfaktʃʊəlˌkoun(t)ərˈfak(t)SH(əw)əl
Philosophy A counterfactual conditional statement (e.g. If kangaroos had no tails, they would topple over).
Example sentencesExamples
- So counterfactuals are not cases of straightforward logical implication.
- But it may strike us as being far from natural to say that all of these counterfactuals are true.
- Recent attempts to analyze causation in terms of probabilistic counterfactuals have become quite intricate; see for example Noordhof.
- The moral to be drawn is that causation may imply that certain counterfactuals hold, but the holding of counterfactuals is not enough to show causation.
- Such a semantics states truth conditions for counterfactuals in terms of relations among possible worlds.
Definition of counterfactual in US English:
counterfactual
adjectiveˌkoun(t)ərˈfak(t)SH(əw)əl
Philosophy Relating to or expressing what has not happened or is not the case.
Example sentencesExamples
- I also raise some questions concerning conceptual priority, and the issue of whether counterfactual analyses of causation are compatible with the view that causal relations are purely objective.
- Concerning ordinary physical objects, it is easy to imagine counterfactual cases where questions of identity become problematic.
- My conclusion, then, has to do with other situations of enquiry than this one, often spoken of as counterfactual situations.
- This is to provide a sort of counterfactual analysis of the continued existence of unperceived objects.
- But to generate knowledge independently of experience, a priori warrants must produce warranted true belief in counterfactual situations where experiences are different.
nounˌkoun(t)ərˈfak(t)SH(əw)əl
Philosophy A counterfactual conditional statement (e.g. If kangaroos had no tails, they would topple over).
Example sentencesExamples
- The moral to be drawn is that causation may imply that certain counterfactuals hold, but the holding of counterfactuals is not enough to show causation.
- But it may strike us as being far from natural to say that all of these counterfactuals are true.
- So counterfactuals are not cases of straightforward logical implication.
- Such a semantics states truth conditions for counterfactuals in terms of relations among possible worlds.
- Recent attempts to analyze causation in terms of probabilistic counterfactuals have become quite intricate; see for example Noordhof.