Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Inkpen, Robert, 1964-

Title Science, philosophy and physical geography / Rob Inkpen and Graham Wilson
Edition 2nd ed
Published New York : Routledge, 2013

Copies

Description 1 online resource
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
Summary 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 physical geography. The text challenges the myth that there is a single self-evident scientific method that can, and is, applied in a straightforward manner by physical geographers. It demonstrates the variety of alternative philosophical perspectives and emphasizes the difference that the real wo
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Print version record
Subject Physical geography -- Philosophy
SCIENCE -- Earth Sciences -- Geography.
Physical geography -- Philosophy
Fysisk geografi.
Naturgeografi.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9781136654640
113665464X
9780203806340
0203806344
9781136654596
1136654593
9781136654633
1136654631