Most Counterfactuals are False

Coordinator: Ben Blumson, Assistant Professor, Philosophy

Project Description and Scope

We wish to read a draft monograph on counterfactuals by Professor Alan Hajek. Counterfactuals are at the foundation of many important philosophical issues – such as the analysis of causation, free will, dispositions, laws of nature – and so forth. Professor Hajek’s monograph argues that most counterfactuals are false. If correct, this would undermine the analysis of most of these concepts in terms of conditionals, and require much of our philosophy to be rethought.

We wish to read Professor Hajek’s book and discuss it with him.

Initial Reading List

  • Alan Hajek (forthcoming), Most Counterfactuals are False

Meeting Schedule and Events

The book has ten sections. Instead of meeting ten times in a ten week period we should like to meet ten times in a period of two days, 14th-15th April 2011, so that Professor Hajek could be present for every session. The venue will be the philosophy resources room.

List of Participants

  • Ben Blumson, Philosophy
  • Weng-Hong Tang, Philosophy
  • Loy Hui-Chieh, Philosophy
  • Michael Pelczar, Philosophy
  • Neil Sinhababu, Philosophy
  • Axel Gelfert, Philosophy
  • Wang Yen Lee, Philosophy