Toward a philosophy of geomorphology

Abstract

ABSTRACT Few attempts have been made to examine philosophically the scientific nature of geomorphology. The reluctance of geomorphologists to engage in philosophical analysis reflects, at least in part, a widespread skepticism of nonempirical forms of inquiry among practicing scientists. This perspective is an outgrowth of the a priori prescriptive nature of traditional philosophy of science. Contemporary philosophers of science have responded to the skepticism of practicing scientists by developing naturalized philosophies that illuminate the complexity of scientific inquiry through direct examination of scientific practice. The objective of this chapter is to illustrate the potential for philosophical analysis to strengthen the intellectual foundation of geomorphology by providing insight into the scientific nature of the discipline. Several issues are introduced that have relevance for understanding geomorphology as a science, including classification, laws and causality, theory and models, discovery, gender issues, and applied studies. The discussion calls attention to unexamined aspects of these issues in geomorphology and briefly reviews contemporary perspectives on them in the philosophy of science. The purpose of the discussion is not to provide a penetrating philosophical investigation of each issue, but to establish an informative framework for future analysis