Single Idea 14286

[catalogued under 10. Modality / B. Possibility / 8. Conditionals / a. Conditionals]

Full Idea

Consider a possible world in which A is true and otherwise differs minimally from the actual world. 'If A, then B' is true (false) just in case B is true (false) in that possible world.

Gist of Idea

In nearby worlds where A is true, 'if A,B' is true or false if B is true or false

Source

Robert C. Stalnaker (A Theory of Conditionals [1968], p.34), quoted by Dorothy Edgington - Conditionals (Stanf) 4.1

Book Reference

'Stanford Online Encyclopaedia of Philosophy', ed/tr. Stanford University [plato.stanford.edu], p.18


A Reaction

This is the first proposal to give a possible worlds semantics for conditional statements. Edgington observes that worlds which are nearby for me may not be nearby for you.