To get a theory of causation as a counterfactual dependence, we need to add more elements. First, we are speaking not just of a counterfactual assumption but also a dependence on that assumption. You might say that if the Sun goes out it will get very cold here, stating that one thing depends on the other. And you will probably be quite happy to grant this conditional true even if its antecedent (its ‘if …’ clause) is false. It being very cold here counterfactually depends on the Sun going out.
