Question

Which situation best describes the concept of causation

Answer 1

Concept of causation: When one event happens because of another.

In history, it is rarely the case that there is a single cause of an event.  There are often multiple causes and factors and motivations that all play into the unfolding of historical happenings.  Reformation historian Roland Bainton said, "The sum of the matter is that causation is exceedingly difficult to assess.  One can do no more than offer a plausible conjecture."  Bainton believed there were causes of events in history, but that there could be much investigation and debate about the complexity of those causes.  That's part of our work as historians -- to investigate different possibilities and theses and see which are the most likely factors in causing events to unfold as they did.  And as we make our assessment of causes, we remain open to the possibility that new evidence might surface that will change our understanding of causes of what happened in the past.