Writing History and Accident Reports: A Metaphorical Analysis

Abstract

This paper takes the writing of an accident report as a metaphor for the writing of history in general. Accident reports are telic analyses in which the consequences determine the antecedents. Such analyses are subject to the purposes and expertise of the observer. The causes of accidents may be infinite in number and regress into infinity. The focussing of the search is dependent upon the definition of the event and the focussing schema used may contain gaps or distractions. The methods for causal selection are poorly developed and the methods of verification lack objectivity. The report often fails the recipient. The extent to which the writing of the history of an accident is analogous to the writing of history in general determines the extent of these problems for all historians.