Science, philosophy and physical geography

Science, philosophy and physical geography / Rob Inkpen and Graham Wilson.

This accessible and engaging text explores the relationship between philosophy, science and physical geography. It addresses an imbalance that exists in opinion, teaching and to a lesser extent research, between a philosophically enriched human geography and a perceived philosophically empty physica...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Inkpen, Robert, 1964-
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: New York : Routledge, 2013.
Edition:2nd ed.
Subjects:
Physical geography > Philosophy.
SCIENCE > Earth Sciences > Geography.
Physical geography > Philosophy
Fysisk geografi.
Naturgeografi.
Online Access:Click for online access
Table of Contents:
  • Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Table of Contents; List of figures and tables; Preface to the first edition; Preface to the second edition; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Structure of the book; Chapter 1. Ideas, change and stability in physical geography; What are ideas and how do they change?; Johannes Umbgrove and plate tectonics; Is there a history of ideas in physical geography?; What are the important concepts in physical geography?; Chaos, complexity and Earth Systems Science (ESS); Summary; Chapter 2. The nature of reality; What is reality?
  • Views of different philosophiesCase Study: Critical rationalism: an example from environmental reconstruction; Reality as a dialogue; Theory, reality and practice; Case Study: Myths and theories; Physical geography as historical science; Summary; Chapter 3. Entities and classification; Introduction; What are entities?; Entities and kinds; Case Study: Species as natural kinds; Case Study: Magnitude and frequency
  • entities out of context; Classification; Case Study: The EU Water Framework Directive and the classification of surface water status; Case Study: Classification of soils.
  • Events
  • mega entities?Summary; Chapter 4. Forms of explanation; Explanation in physical geography; What is explanation?; Causality; Case Study: Necessary and sufficient conditions; Explanatory frameworks; Case Study: Abduction as a form of explanation in environmental reconstruction; Case Study: Linking theory and practice; The problems of causation; Summary; Chapter 5. Probing reality; Probing and the dialogue with reality; Measurement systems; Case Study: Triangulation of techniques
  • measurement of surface form on rocks; Practice in physical geography.
  • Case Study: Linking process and form
  • intensive study of bedformsCase Study: Probing reality
  • fluvial flow structure; Case Study: Multiple working hypotheses; Summary; Chapter 6. The field; What is 'field science'?; The philosophies of fieldwork; Case Study: Local underdeterminism and the Younger Dryas event; 'Simplifying the field'
  • laboratory and experimental research; Monitoring the field; Fieldwork as a reflective and imaginative practice; Summary; Chapter 7. Systems
  • the framework for physical geography?; Systems analysis in physical geography; Application of systems thinking.
  • Systems and changeCase Study: Systems and landscape sensitivity; Summary; Chapter 8. Change and complexity; Equilibrium
  • an ex-concept?; Chaos and complexity
  • more of the same?; Case study: Chaos theory and ecological systems; Emergence and hierarchies
  • scale revisited?; Case Study: Scale and (dis)connectivity; Case Complexity and change
  • landscape evolution and organization; Summary; Chapter 9. Modelling; Conceptual approaches to modelling; Types of models; Conceptual models; Analogue models; Deterministic models; Empirical- statistical models.

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