Geografie 1969, 74, 127-141
Synthetic-Integrative Efforts in Geography and Exact Methods
The process of exactization of geography requires the examination of its own fundaments i. e., the reinterpretation of basic categories of geography as a science. As two main attributes of geography we can consider (a) the spaciousness and (b) the synthesis. Both these attributes require reexplication and a suitable choice of abstract language, The meta-language of the space aspect of geography become such branches as geometry, topology, if you like physics; the meta-language of the synthetic aspect seems to be the suitable-general system theory and cybernetics. The main stress of the study is laid on the synthetic-integrative effort of geography. It is discussed here such a level of synthesis which leads to the integration of all geographical branches, to the unity of geography as science. In this sense the author tried to elaborate various unitary conceptions of geography. 1. Objectological-methodological conception of the unity of geography was explicite formed e. g., in the work of Anuchin (1960) and Fehrmann (1962). The unity of geography in the understanding of Anuchin shortly expressed is based on the opinion that the physical and human geography have (a) a common subject of study - the geosphere and (b) the physical and human geography have a common basic method - the chorologic method. Fehrman's idea of unity is based on the Oppenheim's "Thoung surface" (Denkfläche) in which all sciences form an integrated innerly continuous system (Fig. No 1). The division of sciences into natural and social is from the standpoint of "thought surface" (Denkfläche) inadequate. The decisive point of view is here the mutual relation of the concretization, of abstraction, of individualization and typization. The position of geography in the "thought surface" (Denkfläche) shows Fig. No 2. 2. Systemologic conception of unity of geography is leaning partly against (a) structural-functional approach, partly against (b) system-wholeness approach. The structural-functional approach means the finding of structural-functional analogies (isomorphism, homomorphism) between physical and human geography. The possibility to use the same mathematical models in these both branches showed e. g., in his work Bunge (1962). System-wholeness approach originates in two postulates of the system theory: system as a wholeness we can consider such a system in which (a) the change of one element evokes a change in all other elements and (b) the behaviour of the system cannot be reduced on the behaviour of its singular elements. Berry (1964) showed that the geosphere we can consider as a system, Kalesnik (1947) showed that the earth-shell posseses the marks of the postulate (a). From the standpoint of the postulate (b) follows, that by the study of geosphere we cannot manage with only physical and human geography, but that it is necessary also the geography as such, studying the system-geosphere which we cannot reduce to the systems studied by physical geography, or by human geography, systems apparently of a lower order. 3. Physically inspired conception of unity of geography comes put from a certain analogy which we can meet in physics - in the effort to construct a unitary theory of materia, this is the programme the originator of which is A. Einstein. Such understanding of the unity of geography could mean the search not of the structural-functional analogies between physical and human geography, but the finding of a certain more general, deeper principle. Though the whole geography it seems to be a far programme, in the frame of human geography Bunge tried to form a certain principle ("interacting objects locate to each other as near as possible" [Bunge 1964, p. 273]), on the base of which it would be possible, to attaint to a certain general equation, from which it would be possible to derive all until now known locational theories. 4. The logical conception of the unity of geography is bases on the idea of axiomatization of geography, on the construction of deductive system of all geographical knowledge. The unity of a certain science can be that is to say, considered as a unity of its knowledge. The first attempt to axiomatize the whole geography is met by Neef (1950). Neef formulates three axiome (a) planetary, (b) landscape, (c) chorologic. As we can see from Neef's formulation the frontiers between physical and human geography are abolished. Other attempts to axiomatize the geography have considerably narrower extent. Also the above mentioned Bunge's principle can be understood in substance axiomatically. In further part of the study the author points to wider possibilites of the system approach in geography and in the conclusion he stresses the fact that the system approach provides also a new foundation of geography as a science.
