Explanation of Appropriate Functioning of Rational Positivist Methodology in Studying Applied Geopolitics

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Article 3, Volume 2, Issue 3 - Serial Number 6, October 2017, Pages 55-77   

Document Type: مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/pg.v2i6.61812

Author

Ehsan Lashgari^*

Yazd University

Abstract

Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
Geopolitics is one of the geographic sciences branches which can be discussed at various methodological schools. By the middle of the 20th century, dominant geopolitical theories and frameworks were often based on the objective aspects of geography and its impact on political relations between countries and blocks of power. However, observing the weakness of geopolitical predictions and the lack of response to many contradictions, thinkers moved to new theoretical frameworks in geopolitics. This shift has caused the spread of interpretive methodology to geopolitical studies. However, the excessive use of the idealistic methodology could cause the lack of attention to the issues and challenges in places and regions. However, today, more than past, applied studies in geographic sciences are carried out in positivism method. Therefore, applied geopolitical studies are still more feasible in the positivism school because when the propositions are referred to the objective world, the causation and prediction in dimension of methodology become operational. Now, the question that arises is which applied geopolitics will be closer to the approach of positivism school (inductive or deductive approaches) for better optimization?
2. Theoretical Framework
Geopolitics is based on the role of geography in the international relation which analyzes the domination of actors and governments in this context. From a geopolitical view, governments and political actors compete to gain opportunities in geographical space. They try to expand their influence on important spaces.
Deductive approach discusses the necessities for scientific recognition and the definition of "coherent systems" that exist in geopolitical studies. The logic behind deductive approach consists of definite arguments while the logic of inductive approach is based on probable inferences. In this methodology, the condition for the applicability of geopolitics is based on inferential and rational methods for studying geopolitical developments in different places and regions. Based on this methodological framework, there are fixed collections based on which it is possible to explain and predict the geopolitical changes while, some indexes such as the kind of political system are also influential in geopolitical studies that eliminate inductive generalizations. Obviously, in accordance with the conditions of international relations, the combination of these two features leads the dimensions of geopolitical studies towards a rational proof-making methodology. From the deductive perspective, inferential rationality has potential to identify and distinguish historically the spatial policies in geopolitical studies.
3. Methodology
This article intends to explain the optimal functions of deductive methodology in descriptive-analytical approach. In the first stage, it tries to explain the deductive methodology and geopolitical concept. Then, the epistemological ability of deductive methodology has been analyzed in comparison with interpretive and inductive methods in Geopolitical studies particularly after the cold war.
4. Results and Discussion
The Findings reveal that the content of geopolitics has some conceptual principles that exclusively require a deductive methodology. The most important principles are as follows:
A: Deductive explanation, and differentiation in the geopolitical value of places and regions
According to the views of many geopolitical thinkers, identifying the important regions and places in the world has been one of the studying goals. It has been done based on a rational positivist approach. Intrinsically, the distinction between the geopolitical significance of places and geographical areas is inherent in the geopolitical structure of the world. In the first step, the importance of geographical places should be highlighted in the deductive approach to predict the political behavior of governments and actors. Basically, in the transnational scale, the spatial threats are not considered as the impartial stimuli and these are often explained by deductive logic.
B- Deductive explanation and connotation in geopolitical studies
The deductive approach could help to predict the geopolitical developments in the world. With this method the scholars of international relations and geopolitics do not explain the historical events merely. Because such statements directly refer to the external conditions and express the real and objective characteristics.
C- The end of the Cold War and the increasing value of the deductive approach in geopolitical studies
After the Cold War and with the end of the ideological competition, the ideological value of the regions did not merely cause competition, security, and strategy, but they were the resources available in the geopolitical structure of the world that credited them. From this perspective, the competition model has a completely geopolitical, objective, and predictable content. Therefore, although a super authority is not dominant over the global system, there are self-regulating mechanisms that can be explained in geopolitical systems and the behavior of governments and affecting actors in the transnational area can be explained based on the deductive rationality.
5. Conclusions
Most of the applied geographic studies have recognized the causes of these phenomena in geographic space as objective phenomena. Geopolitics also studies the objective concepts in space that produce political action between countries in transnational scale. Of course, unlike the national scale, there is no centralized political power and sovereignty for governing the space in the transnational scale. Thus, the deductive methodology should be applied to study geopolitics, because anticipating and monitoring the behavior of states and actors based on the quantitative techniques in the transnational scale are not possible. Politics has a qualitative and variable nature and it is necessary to use a deductive approach.

Keywords

Geopolitics; Methodology; Positivism; Deductive approach

References

1. Afzali, R. & Amiri, A. (2010). Foundations of epistemology and methodology of postmodern theory in political geography and geopolitics, Huaman research quartely, 43(77). [In Persian].

2. Baldwin, B.‌) 1995 (. security studies and the end of the cold war, world politics, 48(1).

3. Buzzan, B. & Waver, O. (2009). Power and regions, (Ghahramanpour, R., Trans.). Tehran: Research Institute for Strategic Studies. [In Persian].

4. Chalmers, J. (2005). The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Security & the End of the Republic. (Kardan, A. & Saeid Kolahi, H., TTrans.). Tehran: International Study and Research Institute [In Persian].

5. Cox, K. R. (2005). Political Geography Critical Concept in the Social Sciences, London and New York: Routledge.

6. Driver, F. (2013). Research in historical geography and in the history and philosophy of geography in the UK, 2001- 2011: an overview, Journal of historical geography, doi: 10.1016,

7. Eftekhari, Gh. (2009). The failed attempt to impose a philosophical insight in the scientific method in the twentieth century, Political science research journal, l3(3). [In Persian].

8. Etaat, J. (2006). Geopolitics and foreign policy of Iran, Tehran: Entekhab publisher [In Persian].

9. Filint, C. (2011). Introduction to geopolitics, 2nd edition, Routledge.

10. Friedman, L & karash, E. (2002). The Gulf war and new world order, Basingstoke: Macmillan

11. Geopolitics, Political Geography journal, No. 37, pp. 20-29, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2013.04.006

12. Germond, B. (2015). The geopolitical dimension of maritime security, Maritime security journal, No.54, Doi: 10.1016/j.marpol.2014.12.013.

13. Ghasemi, F. (2005). Construction of the new international geopolitical system, Geopolitics quarterly, 1(1). [In Persian]

14. Ghezelsofla, M.T. (2009). Media and the construction of national identity, politics quarterly. 49(3). [In Persian].

15. Hafeznia, M. & Kanyanirad, M. (2014). The philosophy of political geography, Tehran: strategic research institute.

16. Hafeznia, M. (2005). Geopolitics; a philosophical approach; Geopolitics journal, 1(1). [In Persian]

17. Hafeznia, M. (2006). Principle and concept of geopolitics. Mashhad: papoli publisher. [In Persian].

18. Hirsch, P. (2016). The shifting regional geopolitics of Mekong dams; Political Geography Journal, Vol. 51, March 2016, doi:10.1016/j.econmod.2015.08.018. pp.63-74

19. Johnstone, R. (2009). Spatial science, International Encyclopedia of human geography, Vol. 10.

20. Jones, M. & Jones, R. & Woods, M. (2007). An introduction to political geography: space, place and politics. (Peshgahifard, Z. & Akbari, R., Trans.). Tehran: Tehran Universiy Press. [In Persian].

21. Kazemi, A.A. (2000). Seven Pillars policy, Tehran: Islamic Culture Publications Office. [In Persian].

22. Lashgari Tafreshi, E. (2002). Worlds strategic Places and regions, Tehran: Entekhab Publisher [in Persian].

23. Lashgari Tafreshi, E. (2016). Political power and spatial space, Philosophical outlook of Relationship between Politic and space, Tehran: Geopolitics association press. [In Persian].

24. Lesser, E. ) 2000(. Knowledge of communication, Boston: Butterworth press.

25. Mercille, J. (2008). The radical geopolitics of US foreign policy: Geopolitical and geo-economics logics of power; Political Geography, 27(5), June 2008. pp. 570–586.

26. Milner, A. & Browitt, J. (2009). Contemporary cultural theory: an introduction, (Mohammadi, J., Trans.). Tehran: Ghaghanous publisher. [In Persian].

27. Mirhydar, D. & Afzali, R. & Moradi, E. (2011). Another approaches in geopolitics, decentralization of knowledge and power, Human research quarterly, 43(78). [In Persian].

28. Mirhydar, D. (1998). Geopolitics, the new definition, Geographical research quarterly, 13(4). [In Persian].

29. Mirhydar, D., Badei, M. & Zakie, Y. & Ahmady, F. (2016). Reasons for the decline the quantities - spatial perspective in geopolitics, Human research quarterly, 48(1). [In Persian].

30. Mohammadi, H. (2014). Introduction to the scientific method in Geography, Tehran: Tehran Univesity press. [In Persian].

31. Mojtahedzadeh, P. & Rabei, H. (2009). The study patterns of conflict resolution and the provision solve territorial disputes, Geopolitics quarterly, 5(1). [In Persian].

32. Mojtahedzadeh, P. (2001). Political geography and geopolitics, Tehran: SAMT publisher [ in Persian].

33. Murray, W. (2009). Geographies of globalization, (Javan, J. & Abdullahi, A. Trans.). Tehran: Chapar. [In Persian].

34. Newman, D. (1998). Geopolitical imagination, IBRU boundary and security Bulletin, www.dur.ac.uk.

35. O’loughlin, J. (2006). The spatial analysis in political geography, in a companion to political geography, Edited by Agnew; New York: Blackwell publishing.

36. O'Tuathail, G. & Dalby, S. & Routledge, P.‬ (2001). ‬Geopolitical thought in 20th century, (Hafeznia, M. & Naseri, H., Trans).Tehran: Publications Office of Political and International Studies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [In Persian].

37. Parker, G. (1985). Western geopolitical thought in the twentieth century. New York: St Martin press.

38. Popper, K. R. (2002). Logic of Scientific Discovery, (Kamali, H., Trans.). Tehran: Cultural and Scientific Publishing Company

39. Popper, K.R. (2000). ‎The myth of the framework: in defense of science and rationality, (Paya, A., Trans.). Tehran: Tarhe nou

40. Rahbari, M. (2006). Hermeneutics and Politics, Tehran: Kavir publisher.

41. Sadegi, R. (2015). Introduction to contemporary philosophy of science, Tehran: SAMT publisher [In Persian].

42. Sharp, J.P. (2013). Geopolitics at the margins? Reconsidering genealogies of critical

43. Sibely, D., Jackson, P., Atkinson, D. & Washbounne, N. (2005). Cultural geography: Acritical dictionary of key concepts, London: L.B. Tauris & coLTD.

44. Smith, N. (2000). Is a critical geopolitics is possible? Foucault, class and the vision thing, Political geography journal, Vol.19. Pp.365-371.

45. Soroush, A. (1996). What is science? What is philosophy?, Tehran: Serat Cultural Institute [In Persian]

46. Vasegh, M. (2005). Philosophy of geographical place, Philosophical thought journal, 2(4). [In Persian].

47. Waltz, K. (1979). Theory of international politics, New York: Addison- Wesley.