Skip to main content
Log in

Conditionals are material: the positive arguments

  • Published:
Synthese Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A number of papers have argued in favour of the material account of indicative conditionals, but typically they either concentrate on defending the account from the charge that it has counterintuitive consequences, or else focus on some particular positive argument in favour of the theory. In this paper, I survey the various positive arguments that can be given, presenting simple versions where possible and showing the connections between them. I conclude with some methodological considerations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajdukiewicz K. (1956) Conditional sentence and material implication. Studia Logica 4(1): 135–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barker S. (1997) Material implication and general indicative conditionals. The Philosophical Quarterly 47(187): 195–211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett J. (2003) A philosophical guide to conditionals. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Clark M. (1971) Ifs and hooks. Analysis 32(2): 33–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark M. (1974) Ifs and hooks: A rejoinder. Analysis 34(3): 77–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edgington D. (1986) Do conditionals have truth conditions. Crítica: Revista Hispanoamericana de Filosofía 18(52): 3–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbard, A. (1981). In W. L. Harper, R. Stalnaker, & G. Pearce (Eds.), Two recent theories of conditionals (pp. 211–247). Dordrecht: D. Reidel

  • Grice, H. P. (1967). Indicative conditionals. In H. P. Grice (Ed.), Studies in the way of words (pp. 58–87). Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

  • Hanson W. H. (1991) Indicative conditionals are truth-functional. Mind 100(1): 53–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong Tang, W. (2006). If and hook. Master’s thesis, National University of Singapore, Singapore. URL http://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/15332.

  • Jackson F. (1987) Conditionals. Basil Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis C. (1894) A logical paradox. Mind 3(11): 436–438

    Google Scholar 

  • Lycan W. G. (2001) Real conditionals. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Pendlebury M. (1989) The projection strategy and the truth conditions of conditional statements. Mind 98(390): 179–205

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieger A. (2006) A simple theory of conditionals. Analysis 66(3): 233–240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stalnaker, R. (1968). A theory of conditionals. In Nicholas R. (Ed.), Studies in logical theory, (pp. 98–112). Oxford: Basil Blackwell. (Reprinted in harper et al. [1981], pp. 41–55.

  • Vann M. (1985) A counterexample to modus ponens. Journal of Philosophy 82(9): 462–471

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Orman Quine W. (1950) Methods of logic. Henry Holt, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • van Orman Quine, W. (1962). The ways of paradox. In van Orman Quine, W. (Ed.), The ways of paradox and other essays, 1966. Cambridge: Harvard University Press (First published as “Paradox” in Scientific American).

  • Russell B. (1903) The principles of mathematics. CUP, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren G. (2003) Deductive logic. Hackett Publishing, Indianapolis/Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson T. (2000) Knowledge and its limits. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Williamson T. (2006) Indicative versus subjunctive conditionals, congruential versus non-hyperintensional contexts. Philosophical Issues 16(1): 310–333

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williamson T. (2009) Conditionals and actuality. Erkenntnis 70(2): 135–150

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam Rieger.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rieger, A. Conditionals are material: the positive arguments. Synthese 190, 3161–3174 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-012-0134-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-012-0134-7

Keywords

Navigation