 This section begins with some terminological issues  (§1.1).  It then provides two broad surveys of research that places counterfactuals at the center of key philosophical issues.  Section 1.2  covers the role of counterfactuals in theories of rational agency, mental representation, and knowledge.  Section 1.3  focuses on the central role of counterfactuals in metaphysics and the philosophy of science.  Section 1.4  will then bring a bit of drama to the narrative by explaining how counterfactuals are deeply puzzling from the perspective of classical and modal logics alike.