Evolution of Geographical Thought

Paper Code: 
DGEO 501A
Credits: 
4
Contact Hours: 
60.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This course aims to enable students to contextualize the conceptual traditions within geography along with the major philosophical influences. It promotes an understanding of the fluidity, expansion and inclusivity of Modern Geographical Thought as against imperial underpinnings and latent euro centricity.

 

12.00
Unit I: 
Unit I

Geographical knowledge of the ancient period:

Evolution of geographical knowledge

• Indian scholars : Puranic and Vedic scholars

• Greek scholars

• Roman scholars

 

12.00
Unit II: 
Unit II

Geography of medieval period:

• Contributions by Arab geographers.

• Dark Age

• Renaissance and its impact on geographical knowledge

• Period of explorations and Discoveries and spread of European trade

Development of scientific geography:

• Varenius

• Immanuel Kant

 

12.00
Unit III: 
Unit III

Geography in the nineteenth century:

Founders of Modern Geography:

• Contributions by Humboldt, Ritter, Richthofen, Ratzel

• Dualism in Geography:

• Human and Physical, Regional and Systematic

 

12.00
Unit IV: 
Unit IV

Geography in the twentieth century: Works of

• Vidal de la Blache

• Ellsworth Huntington

• Carl O Sauer

 

12.00
Unit V: 
Unit V

Major Paradigm Shifts in the subject

• Quantitative Revolution

• Behavioural Revolution

• Humanism

• Radicalism

 

Essential Readings: 
  • Husain, Majid: Evolution of Geographical Thought (Rawat Publications,2004,2010)
  • Singh, Manoj: Evolution of Geographical Thought (New Delhi : Sonali Publications, 2016)
  • Peet, Richard: Modern Geographical Thought (Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishers,2004)
  • Dikshit, R.D.: Geographical Thought : a contextual history of ideas (New Delhi: Prentice Hall, 2004)
  • Rana, Lalita :Evolution of Geographical Thought (New Delhi : Concept Publishing Company, 2014)
  • Rana, Lalita : Systematic Record of Evolution (New Delhi : Concept Publishing Company, 2014)
  • Pandey, Akhilesh K: History of Geographic Thought (India: Ancient Publishing House, 2015)

 

References: 
  • Hartshorne, Richard: The Nature of Geography, Rawat Publishers.
  • Hartshorne, Richard,: Perspectives on the Nature of Geography, Scientific Publishers.
  • Minshull, Roger.M,: The Changing Nature of Geography, Routledge Library Editions.

 

 

Academic Year: 
2023-2024