Causal Explanation in Historiography

Springer Nature Switzerland (2023)
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Abstract

The book discusses recent developments in philosophy with regards to how historical events can be explained causally and introduces perspectives from the philosophy of science into the philosophy of history. The book covers the main approaches to causal explanation in history and makes clear the main issues and concepts that are associated with such explanations. For example, the book discusses historical contingency and narratives, among other issues. The book is directed to philosophers of science, philosophers of history, historians, historically oriented social scientists, and everyone who is interested in how we make sense of the past.

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2024

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9783031459283   9783031459290   3031459288

DOI

10.1007/978-3-031-45929-0
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Introduction

In this book, the issue of causal explanation in historiography, the study of the past, is explored. The term “history” is reserved for the events, processes, and conditions in the past. The main question of the book is what historiography needs to tell about the events, processes, and conditions in... see more

History, Future, and Causal Explanation

In this final chapter, I will discuss the relationship between history and the future from the perspective of causal explanation. The connection between historiography and futures research has been an area of interest in futures research. The topic has also been brought to the spotlight in the philo... see more

Mechanisms and Historiographical Explanation

When we think about the Eddington case, we can easily get the sense that the outcome was produced by different types of entities and actors, their activities, and their interactions. Eddington was attempting to promote internationalism in science; Einstein was creating a theory to answer certain typ... see more

The Dawn of Causal Explanation in Historiography: Hempel and Dray

A common starting point from which the current discourse of historiographical explanation can be understood is Hempel’s paper “The Function of General Laws in History” (1942). Much of the debate on historiographical explanation can be understood in terms of the issues and themes that the paper and e... see more

A Counterfactual Account of Historiographical Explanation

I take it that the conception of causation as difference-making (see Beebee et al., 2017; Lewis, 1986; Menzies, 2004) is well suited to historiography. In the difference-making conception of causation, “cause is something that makes a difference to its effects” (Menzies, 2004, 139). As Ben-Menahem p... see more

Narratives: Depth, Contingency, and Generalizations

Even if the linking of narratives with mechanistic explanation has significant shortcomings, the idea that narratives—especially causal narratives—are central in historiography has been strongly supported. Before I delve into the discussion concerning causal narratives, a warning needs to be in plac... see more

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Veli Virmajoki
University of Turku

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