Practical action is identical whether history is contingent or necessary.

Evidence

Without raising the question of historical comprehension and causality it is enough to recognize the presence of intelligible sequences within temporal forms so that forecasts and consequently action may be possible. In fact, whatever may be the philosophy we adhere to, whether our uncertainty manifests an objective and fundamental contingency or whether it expresses our subjective ignorance in the face of a rigorous necessity, the practical attitude remains the same; we must decide upon the opportuneness of an act and attempt to measure its effectiveness without knowing all the factors that are present. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity, 119

Categorization

Category: Contrarian or Surprising Claims

• XREF: Parallels the reader’s earlier material on Milgrom’s law merchant, where institutions solve information problems rather than enforcement ones—both flag that epistemological differences wash out in practice.