
Counterfactuals (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
Jan 18, 2019 · Counterfactuals are conditionals concerning hypothetical possibilities. What if Martin Luther King had died when he was stabbed in 1958 (Byrne 2005: 1)? What if the …
Counterfactual thinking - Wikipedia
Counterfactual thinking is, as it states: "counter to the facts". [1] . These thoughts consist of the "What if?" and the "If only..." that occur when thinking of how things could have turned out …
COUNTERFACTUAL | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
Thoughts about how an embarrassing event might have turned out differently are known to psychologists as counterfactual thinking. One approach is to consider a counterfactual: what if …
Counterfactual - Definition and examples — Conceptually
Counterfactual reasoning means thinking about alternative possibilities for past or future events: what might happen/ have happened if…? In other words, you imagine the consequences of …
Counterfactual conditionals are used extensively in causal reasoning. This observation has motivated a philosophical tradition that aims to provide a counterfactual analysis of causation.
COUNTERFACTUAL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of COUNTERFACTUAL is contrary to fact. How to use counterfactual in a sentence.
Counterfactual Thinking: 10 Examples and Definition (2026)
Sep 21, 2023 · Counterfactual thinking refers to the cognitive process of imagining alternatives to events or situations that have transpired. It can be beneficial in some limited circumstances, …
Counterfactuals - Encyclopedia.com
Any theory of counterfactuals will be part of a general theory of conditionals, and the question arises as to what form a general theory of conditionals should take.
Understanding Counterfactuals in Logic - numberanalytics.com
May 27, 2025 · Counterfactuals are statements that describe hypothetical or fictional situations, often used to explore the consequences of events that did not occur. They are a crucial …
Counterfactual Thinking: Why We Dwell on What Could Have Been
Dec 16, 2025 · There are two types of counterfactual thinking: upward and downward. It's easy to get stuck in thinking about a past we can't change, which can distract us from the present. In …