Toward a General Theory of Geography -(2)-

Abstract

The previous paper presented a couple of methodological problems with which geograrhers encounter when they are trying to construct the theory of geography. In this paper, the ideas being theorized about are presented.In the first three sections, basic concepts composing of author's framework are introduced, and the earth-surface is defined as a set of “occupants”. It is also proposed the two fundamental propositions; The principle of occupance and the principle of “Erfullung”. The former indicates the fact that the two different things (or events) can not occupy the same place in the same time. Occupant is defined as the thing (or event) which is subjected to this principle. The latter iudicates the traditioual geographer's notion that earth-surface is filled with those occupants. Thus the earth surface is defined as a set of occupauts.In the following sections, theoretical implications of the “occupance” are examined; an occupance is defined as ordered pair of two different types of categories, attribute and location, and a pattern of arrangement is defined as a set of those ordered pairs.Given those definition, the basic question for constructing the formal theory of geography is presented as follows;“Under what sort of rule, are the variations in earth-surface regulated?”It is emphasized that the main purpose of geography is not to “explain” the rules but to find the general form of those rules under which the variations in earth-surface are regulated.