Single Idea 22432

[catalogued under 10. Modality / B. Possibility / 8. Conditionals / e. Supposition conditionals]

Full Idea

Ordinarily the conditional is not thought of as true or false at all, but rather the consequent is thought of as conditionally true or false given the antecedent.

Gist of Idea

Normally conditionals have no truth value; it is the consequent which has a conditional truth value

Source

Willard Quine (Mr Strawson on Logical Theory [1953], III)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ways of Paradox and other essays' [Harvard 1976], p.143


A Reaction

At first this seems obvious, but a conditional asserts a relationship between two propositions, and so presumably it is true if that relationship exists. 'Is it actually true that if it is Monday then everyone in the office is depressed?'.