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Author:
Nuno Luis Madureira Instituto Universitario de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), CIES Lisbon Portugal

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Online Publication Date:
05 Mar 2019
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Abstract

A historical sequence is said to be hyperfactual whenever it contains facts that have been proved to exist twice, that is, they exist under two alternative courses of events: the factual and the counterfactual. In such cases, we may verify whether multiple courses of action lead to the same outcome. Drawing upon an idea from Nelson Goodman, each section of this article highlights a different type of hyperfactual sequence: those resulting from the turbulence of historical turning points; those resulting from long term historical sequences; and those resulting from competing courses of action. The final section conveys how hyperfactuals represent the resistance of the multiple layers of history to the formalism of subjunctive conditionals.

Title:
Hyperfactuals
Article Type:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/18722636-12341368
Language:
English
Pages:
21–41
Keywords:
thought experiments; counterfactual; historical theory; epistemology
In:
Journal of the Philosophy of History
In:
Volume 13: Issue 1
Publisher:
Brill
E-ISSN:
1872-2636
Print ISSN:
1872-261X
Subjects:
Medieval History, History, Early Modern History, Ancient Philosophy, Philosophy

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