Colligation and Classification in History
C. Behan McCullagh
W. H. Walsh's greatest contribution to analytical philosophy of history has possibly been identification colligatory terms and investigation their functions in historical writing. Walsh noticed that there is one way which historians make events intelligible differs markedly from scientists explain natural events. Whereas scientists, according Walsh, understand by classifying them then subsuming under causal laws, often look instead for inner relationships between event be explained other came before after it, thus discovering a particular process change it was part.' Colligatory identify processes individual are colligated. The identified term, said, sequence or group related common ideas values they expressed. Where these formed specific plan, purposively carried out actions, colligation those actions reference plan provided teleological explanation them. As an example this form how mentioning Hitler's policy German self-assertion expansion historian could colligate partly steps he took carrying policy, such as repudiation unilateral disarmament, withdrawal League Nations, absorption Austria incorporation Sudetenland. If expressed did not constitute but simply set principles, colligating through what called semi-teleological examples movements periods have different sets colligated, listed the Enlightenment, Romantic
History and Theory