Constructionists claim that theory is fundamental in history for at least three
reasons.
First, the range and volume of evidence bearing on many historical problems
is so large that historians cannot avoid selection, and theory is a critical tool. It provides frameworks and principles for selecting evidence and thus steers practitioners away from contradictions in their explanations.
Second, theory brings to the fore interrelations between the components of human experiences at given times and in so doing enriches historical accounts.
Third, as already mentioned, identifying historical patterns invariably involves some form of abstract thinking and connections to theoretical explanations and interpretations.