Counterfactuals and Context-Sensitivity  

作　　者：SU Ching Hui 

机构地区：[1]School of Philosophy and Social Development, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China

出　　处：《Frontiers of Philosophy in China》2015年第4期668-682,共15页中国哲学前沿（英文版）

摘　　要：It is commonly agreed that when evaluating the validity of an argument involving context-sensitive expressions, the context should be held fixed. In their 2008 essay 'Counterfactuals and Context,' Brogaard and Salerno argue further that context should be held fixed when evaluating an argument involving counterfactuals for validity, since, as many will agree, counterfactuals are context-sensitive. In the present paper, it will however be argued that Brogaard and Salerno fail to distinguish between two different roles that context plays in determining the meaning of a given counterfactual. If they were fully aware of the distinction between these two roles played by context, they might propose a contextualist approach to counterfactuals, as has been developed by Ichikawa in his 2011 paper 'Quantifiers, Knowledge, and Counterfactuals.'It is commonly agreed that when evaluating the validity of an argument involving context-sensitive expressions, the context should be held fixed. In their 2008 essay 'Counterfactuals and Context,' Brogaard and Salerno argue further that context should be held fixed when evaluating an argument involving counterfactuals for validity, since, as many will agree, counterfactuals are context-sensitive. In the present paper, it will however be argued that Brogaard and Salerno fail to distinguish between two different roles that context plays in determining the meaning of a given counterfactual. If they were fully aware of the distinction between these two roles played by context, they might propose a contextualist approach to counterfactuals, as has been developed by Ichikawa in his 2011 paper 'Quantifiers, Knowledge, and Counterfactuals.'

关 键 词：COUNTERFACTUALS CONTEXT B. Brogaard J. Salerno R. Stalnaker J. Ichikawa 

分 类 号：C[社会学]