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In [[philosophy]] and [[logic]], '''contingency''' is the [[status]] of [[facts]] that are not logically necessarily true or false. Contingency is opposed to [[necessity]]: a contingent [[act]] is an act which could have not been, an act which is not necessary (could not have not been). Contingency differs from [[possibility]], in a [[formal]] sense, as the latter includes statements which are necessarily true as well as not necessarily false, while a statement can not be said to be contingent if it is true necessarily.
In [[philosophy]] and [[logic]], '''contingency''' is the [[status]] of [[facts]] that are not logically necessarily true or false. Contingency is opposed to [[necessity]]: a contingent [[act]] is an act which could have not been, an act which is not necessary (could not have not been). Contingency differs from [[possibility]], in a [[formal]] sense, as the latter includes statements which are necessarily true as well as not necessarily false, while a statement can not be said to be contingent if it is true necessarily.
==Usage==
==Usage==
In colloquial [[English]], a contingency is something that can happen, but that generally is not anticipated. [[Planning]] for contingencies often requires a more [[imaginative]] approach, because contingencies are inherently not obvious. Large organizations, such as [[governments]], are often [[criticized]] for not planning for contingencies because the construction of plans to deal with contingencies often involves [[thinking]] outside the box. Beforehand, contingencies are hard to [[predict]]; this failure to appreciate contingencies ahead of time has led to the formulation of [[Murphy's law]]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contingency]
In colloquial [[English]], a contingency is something that can happen, but that generally is not anticipated. [[Planning]] for contingencies often requires a more [[imaginative]] approach, because contingencies are inherently not obvious. Large organizations, such as [[governments]], are often [[criticized]] for not planning for contingencies because the construction of plans to deal with contingencies often involves [[thinking]] outside the box. Beforehand, contingencies are hard to [[predict]]; this failure to appreciate contingencies ahead of time has led to the formulation of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murphy%27s_Law Murphy's law]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contingency]
[[Category: Philosophy]]
[[Category: Philosophy]]
