Single Idea 14287

[catalogued under 10. Modality / B. Possibility / 8. Conditionals / f. Pragmatics of conditionals]

Full Idea

A pragmatic constraint might say that as different possibilities are live in different conversational settings, a different proposition may be expressed by 'If A,B' in different conversational settings.

Gist of Idea

Does 'If A,B' say something different in each context, because of the possibiites there?

Source

Dorothy Edgington (Conditionals (Stanf) [2006], 4.1)

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.19


A Reaction

Edgington says that it is only the truth of the proposition, not its content, which changes with context. I'm not so sure. 'If Hitler finds out, we are in trouble' says different things in 1914 and 1944.