Assumptions, Hypotheses, and Antecedents

This paper is about the distinction between arguments and conditionals, corresponding premises antecedents. I will also propose a further two different kinds of argument, and, correspondingly, premise that call "assumption" "hypothesis." The assumptions, hypotheses, antecedents easily made in artificial languages, we are already familiar with it from our first logic courses (although not necessarily under those names, since there no standard terminology for distinction). After explaining their differences argue ordinary-language counterparts these three notions, meaning some formal properties notions nicely capture features behavior contexts reasoning. My next crucial claim often get confused ordinary language, which leads to problems translation into symbols. suggest solution problem by pointing distinctive characteristics link them artificial-language counterparts. Next, this confusion behind well-known philosophical puzzles. apply distinctions order explain away famous paradoxes: direct argument (also known as or-to-if inference), fatalism, McGee's counterexample modus ponens. As Stalnaker solved paradoxes using his theory reasonable inference, elucidate similarities solutions, why my more broadly, cases involving indicative counterfactuals where inference does apply.