Abstract. We present new sequent calculi for Lewis' logics of counterfactuals. The calculi are based on Lewis' connective of comparative plausibility and modularly capture almost all logics of Lewis' family. Our calculi are standard, in the sense that each connective is handled by a finite number of rules with a fixed and finite number of premises; internal, meaning that a sequent denotes a formula in the language, and analytical. We present two equivalent versions of the calculi: in the first one, the calculi comprise simple rules; we show that for the basic case of logic V, the calculus allows for syntactic cut-elimination, a fundamental proof-theoretical property. In the second version, the calculi comprise invertible rules, they allow for terminating proof search and semantical completeness. We finally show that our calculi can simulate the only internal (non-standard) sequent calculi previously known for these logics.

The preferential conditional logic $ \mathbb{PCL} $, introduced by Burgess, and its extensions are studied. First, a natural semantics based on neighbourhood models, which generalizes Lewis’ sphere models for counterfactual logics, is proposed. Soundness and completeness of $ \mathbb{PCL} $ and its extensions with respect to this class of models are proved directly. Labelled sequent calculi for all logics of the family are then introduced. The calculi are modular and have standard proof-theoretical properties, the most important of which is admissibility of cut that entails a syntactic proof of completeness of the calculi. By adopting a general strategy, root-first proof search terminates, thereby providing a decision procedure for $ \mathbb{PCL} $ and its extensions. Finally, semantic completeness of the calculi is established: from a finite branch in a failed proof attempt it is possible to extract a finite countermodel of the root sequent. The latter result gives a constructive proof of the finite model property of all the logics considered.