Causation – Meaning and Analysis of Facts

The “why” is very important in history. History writing begins with ‘why’. Unlike other social sciences, history does not analyze a category of events but focuses on specific happenings to understand the reason behind that particular event. Instead of explaining why the revolution happened, historians try to understand why the French Revolution happened. Historians concentrate on the dimensions specific to a particular event to understand the reason behind it. That’s what causation is all about.

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Causality

A cause is a condition that is both necessary and sufficient for bringing about an event. It is a condition that is always present when the incident ‘A’ occurs and always absent when the incident ‘A’ does not happen. However, the relationship of necessity is significantly different from that of sufficiency in determining the cause of a phenomenon. For example, in a given instance, a flood leads to the destruction of a civilization, it can be said that the flood was a condition that was sufficient for producing the effect – the destruction of a civilization.

However, to assert that flood was a necessary condition for the destruction of the civilization it is required to show that the absence of earthquake would have meant absence of the effect – the destruction of the civilization. If the destruction could have occurred due to earthquake or other natural calamities, flood may have been a sufficient condition but cannot be designated as necessary condition for the occurrence of the event. Thus, the relationship of necessity is significantly different from that of sufficiency in determining the cause of a phenomenon.

It can also be noted that constant conjunction, which is an important observable attribute of causation, is not an adequate indicator of a causal relationship. Constant conjunction, a condition that is almost always antecedent to the effect, does not mean that a condition that is regularly observed before the event ‘A’ is the cause of an event, it is required to show that its absence would have implied the absence of the event.

Listing the events in a sequential order also does not provide the reasons or explanation of an event. Historians may place events that occurred before and after the terrorist attack in the United States in 2001, but they would not explain why it happened. Thus, identifying the cause is not a matter of placing things one after another. One needs to locate a necessary condition that is a condition without which the particular event may not have occurred.

Analysis of Facts for Causation

For identifying the causal conditions that were necessary under the circumstances, historians believe to proceed in the following ways while analyzing the facts: first, evidence can be drawn within the case itself. Secondly, they compared analogous situations. Third, the perceptions and actions of different agents can be used to assess the relative significance of different existing conditions. Fourth, objective conditions and subjective reasons can be linked.

They tried to know what, how, and why with regard to the phenomenon. Sixth, historians go for causal analysis of historical events. Lastly, historians tried to know the intentions and motivations of the actors involved in the incident. Historians say in a causal explanation, causes and external conditions operate in the physical world, and the cause is linked to the effect.

Thus, causation played a significant role in explaining the historical facts and events.