Abstract

The first chapter of this short book consists of Goodman's well-known article of 1946 on "The Problem of Counterfactual Conditionals." The next two chapters present persuasive arguments showing that the problems of counterfactuals, nomologicality, dispositional predicates, and the status of the possible are aspects of a single problem--that of the rules of inductive validity. The final chapter presents criteria for the projectibility of statements. These criteria, based on the view that our past linguistic behavior determines the structure of our present inductions, are presented in a manner which is perhaps too sketchy and informal to inspire complete confidence.--R. R.