Article ID: CBB675350727

Historical Explanation and Causality (2019)

unapi

Historical explanation is an ambiguous concept. Historical narratives usually aim for a mixture of causal and interpretative understanding. In this essay the author uses an article, written with Azadeh Achbari, that seeks to answer the question of how a Dutch meteorological rule of thumb was eventually turned into a law of nature. Part of the answer is found in the sudden British need for a scientific basis for the controversial practice of storm warnings. Clearly, this causal explanation hinges on the contemporary meaning of the concept “law of nature.” Finally, the author discusses and rejects the recent tendency among historians to dismiss all causal analysis as fruitless.

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https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB675350727/

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Authors & Contributors
Zuidervaart, Huibert Jan
Ducheyne, Steffen
Claire Hall
Sangiacomo, Andrea
William Crozier
Priest, Greg
Concepts
Causality
Meteorology
Historical method
Philosophy
Historiography
Philosophical historiography
Time Periods
19th century
18th century
17th century
Renaissance
Ancient
Medieval
Places
Netherlands
England
North Sea
Byzantium
Japan
Greece
Institutions
Royal Society of London
Great Britain. Meteorological Office
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