more from David Lewis

Single Idea 15462

[catalogued under 10. Modality / B. Possibility / 9. Counterfactuals]

Full Idea

'Backtracking' counterfactual reasoning runs from a counterfactually supposed event to the causal antecedents it would have to have had.

Gist of Idea

Backtracking counterfactuals go from supposed events to their required causal antecedents

Source

David Lewis (Finkish dispositions [1997], I)

Book Reference

Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.136


A Reaction

Why not call it a 'transcendental' counterfactual? Presumably you go thisworld>> counterfactualevent>> worldneededtocauseit. It conjures up two possible worlds instead of one.