Philosophy
The Logic of Conditionals and the Semantics of If-Then Statements
Quick fact
In classical logic, the statement 'if P, then Q' is true whenever P is false—regardless of whether Q is true. This means 'If pigs can fly, then I'm a millionaire' is technically true in classical logic, even though the antecedent is impossible.
Why this is interesting
We use 'if-then' statements constantly—'if it rains, the ground gets wet'—but have you ever wondered how logic actually defines them?