I was attempting to solve a relatively specific technical problem related to self-proofs using counterfactuals. So I suppose I do think (at least non-circular ones) are useful. But I’m not sure I’d commit to any broader philosophical statement about counterfactuals beyond “they can be used in a specific formal way to help functions prove statements about their own output in a way that avoid Lob’s Theorem issues”. That being said, that’s a pretty good use, if that’s the type of thing you want to do? It’s also not totally clear if you’re imagining counterfactuals the same way I am. I am using the English term because it matches the specific thing I’m describing decently well, but the term has a broad meaning, and without having an extremely specific imagining, it’s hard to make any more statements about what can be done with them.
I was attempting to solve a relatively specific technical problem related to self-proofs using counterfactuals. So I suppose I do think (at least non-circular ones) are useful. But I’m not sure I’d commit to any broader philosophical statement about counterfactuals beyond “they can be used in a specific formal way to help functions prove statements about their own output in a way that avoid Lob’s Theorem issues”. That being said, that’s a pretty good use, if that’s the type of thing you want to do? It’s also not totally clear if you’re imagining counterfactuals the same way I am. I am using the English term because it matches the specific thing I’m describing decently well, but the term has a broad meaning, and without having an extremely specific imagining, it’s hard to make any more statements about what can be done with them.