Eli5: In science, can you establish causation without knowing the causal mechanism?

Question

Pretty much the title

In: 210

Answer 1

The answer is no. Science requires a hypothesis, experiment/observation, and a result. If you cannot observe a causal mechanism, then you cannot establish causation.

From a philosophical perspective, however, you can establish causation, using evidence from science, without knowing the exact causal mechanism. This is an example of a philosophical argument that establishes causation without commenting on the mechanism:

1. Things that begin to exist have a cause.
2. The Universe began to exist.
3. The Universe has a cause.