Mechanisms and Causal Histories: Explanation-Oriented Research in Human Ecology

Many philosophers and scientists now view the discovery of causal mechanisms as central to research and explanation. In this paper, we consider the relevance of this mechanistic approach to human ecology. The consensus is that mechanisms are relatively stable and recurring causal structures underlying the phenomena we are trying to understand or explain. A causal sequence with a particular end point can be understood as constituting a causal history explanation, but claims for it also constituting a mechanism require additional evidence concerning its stability and regularity. Organizing research around the search for mechanisms often makes sense in fields like biology, sociology, and political science where stable causal structures are commonplace. But it makes less sense for human ecology because interactions between people and the environment are often characterized by unstable and contingent causal dynamics. The more serviceable concept of cause, not causal mechanism, should thus be maintained at the core of explanation, and research in human ecology should prioritize the search for causal histories, with causal mechanisms serving a potentially supporting role. These arguments are illustrated with a case study of land use change and reforestation in the Caribbean.