Causal Claims and the Operational Environment: An Analysis of Conventional and Emergent Causality as Applied to the Systems in 2007-2008 Iraq
Abstract
Causal claims are unavoidable in military affairs. However, causal claims also are insufficient when attempting to understand and intervene in complex environments. Hence, notions of conventional causality must be supplemented with an understanding of emergent causality. This paper examines three competing claims about the decline in violence in Iraq from 2007 to 2008 from two perspectives: Craig Parsons's logics of causal explanation and William Connolly's concept of emergent causality. I find that an understanding of both types of causality is necessary for a full appreciation of what happened in Iraq. I argue that the military professional requires a nuanced understanding of conventional causality since such claims are integral to understanding and interventions. However, the military professional also requires also a nuanced understanding of emergent causality and an accompanying philosophy for how to intervene in the world.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 08, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA563055
Entities
People
- Christopher M. Rowe
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College