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Course Description

This course is going to review the logic and pragmatics of indicative and counterfactual conditionals. We will review arguments about whether conditionals have truth conditions or assertibility conditions, and what the relationship is between these two. We will also consider debates about the classification of conditionals, Ernest Adams' logic and analysis of conditionals, the triviality proofs, the logic of counterfactuals, and debates over the semantics.

The course work will involve a group production of a handbook covering all the issues regarding conditionals that we will cover. It includes sections on the material conditional, triviality proofs, Ramsey test, classification, 'even if', 'only if', counterfactuals, subjunctives, various logic formulas, conversational and conventional implicature, and probability logic. Each student will produce explanations of several topic areas and review the work done by others. The sum total of work submitted should be at least 7000 words, although this will be spread out through several topics. Each student will also need to make a presentation as well.

We will primarily use Jonathan Bennett's A Philosophical Guide to Conditionals, but will also review Ernest Adams' A Primer Of Probability Logic and a few chapters from Christopher Gauker's Conditionals In Context in addition to a gamut of journal articles.

Don't forget that I have a large bibliography of conditionals.