Cause and effect Quote by Rudolf Karl Bultmann
““The historical method includes the presupposition that history is a unity in the sense of a closed continuum of effects in which individual events are connected by the succession of cause and effect…This closedness means that the continuum of historical happenings cannot be rent by the interference of supernatural transcendent powers and that therefore there is no "miracle" in this sense of the word.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Theology and the Historical Method, Rudolf Bultmann, 1950
History is viewed as a continuous chain of cause‑and‑effect, leaving no room for supernatural miracles.
In simple terms: History follows natural cause and effect, excluding miracles.
Key Takeaway
Interpret events through natural causes.
Themes
history
philosophy
causality
Mood
analytical
skeptical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy analysis
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
determinism
secularism
methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- Can all historical events be fully explained by causality?
- What role, human agency play?
A Different Perspective
Assumes all events fit a causal chain, which may oversimplify complex phenomena.
