Megaralı Philon’da Koşullu Önerme Anlayışı ve Modern Mantıkta Maddi İçerme Kavramının Oluşumu

Abstract

Philo of Megara (d. 3rd century BCE) is one of the first philosophers who assigned truth values to conditional propositions that can be symbolized as “If A, then B”. He determined the minimum criterion for a conditional proposition not to bear a false truth value. According to this criterion, a conditional proposition that doesn’t have a true antecedent and false consequent is regarded as a true conditional. Philon’s conception of modal terms helps us to understand his theory of conditionals. We need factual data to be able to assess the truth values of Philoanian conditional propositions. The discussion about conditional propositions regarding their truth values lost its importance after Stoics until the modern era. Frege revitalizes the subject by introducing his notation of conditionals. He presents how the “If ..., then …” form of the conditional proposition is different from physical causality. Peirce made a contribution to the notation of symbolic logic about conditionals and, explained conditional propoistions in the context of logical possibility. Russell defined material implication as distinguished from formal implication. Via the material implication, Philonian conditional proposition “If A, then B” is understood as “A implies B”.