Epistemological Explanation of the Concept and Nature of Geopolitics

پژوهش ‎های جغرافیای سیاسی

Article 4, Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 6, July 2017, Pages 65-85   

Document Type: مقالات علمی -پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/pg.v2i8.70362

Authors

Mahmoud Vasegh^{* 1}; Seyyed Abbas Ahmadi¹; Mohammadreza Hafeznia²; Seyyed Mohammad Isanedjad¹

¹University of Tehran

²Tarbiat Modarres University

Abstract

Extended abstract
1. Introduction
Nowadays, the term geopolitics is widely used in various fields of study, and is used to analyze and explain political and geographical events at different levels. Unfortunately, despite the widespread use of this term, due to the dominance of the functionalist approach in geopolitical studies, theoretical and conceptual dimension of geopolitics has been neglected and has not been considered so much by the experts. Therefore, some questions like what geopolitics is and what its notion is remain unanswered. The purpose of this article is to provide answers to the above questions through paying attention to the theoretical and epistemological dimensions of geopolitics, and due to the lack of theoretical research in this field, this article intends to provide a meaningful explanation of the nature and meaning of this term.
2 .Theoretical Framework
When we talk about science, of course, we must be in the realm of philosophy. In other words, what is stated, if be meticulous and exploratory, needs to be in the realm of philosophy of science. From the perspective of the philosophy of science, the new science has two logico and empirico attributes. Indeed, two pillars of the new science are logic-rationality and observation-experience. The problem is the inception of science. Science in the solution of the problems grows through the creation of hypotheses. The absence of problems equals the lack of science.
Every epistemic is knowledge of something, but epistemology is a cognition of self-knowledge. Epistemology is a cognition which, by deliberation of knowledge, discusses about the possibilities, types, ways, realms and the validity of it. The most important topic of epistemology is the discussion of the value and validity of knowledge and truth or falsity of propositions.
The term geopolitics was first introduced in 1899 by Johan Rudolf Kjellén. Historically, since Aristotle, the influence of geographic factors on politics has been considered. In the medieval, thinkers such as Montesquieu and in the Islamic civilization, Ibn Khaldūn and others have discussed about this issue. In general, it can be told that geopolitics studies international relations and conflicts from a geographical perspective.
3 .Method
This paper, because of its philosophical nature, is a fundamental-theoretical research, and in terms of purpose, it is a part of the problem-solving study (solving the philosophical - mental problems). According to its theoretical nature, the sources used in this paper are document and library resources. This paper has been developed within the framework of studies on the philosophy of science with a realistic approach and in the form of logical and epistemological descriptions and analyzes. The methodological accost to developing this research is critical rationalism. It is clear that this paper is written in the form of scientific-research articles.
4. Discussion
Geopolitik (Swedish equivalent of Geopolitics) is a solid compound noun. Unlike most compound words in European languages, it was not a bygone word, and it is not much older. Johan Rudolf Kjellén invented the term in 1899 under the influence of Friedrich Ratzel's doctrines. This word consists of two sections Geo (γη or γαια) and Politik (πολιτικα). Both sections are original Greek words and come from Latin to new European languages. However, how is this word from an epistemological perspective? As mentioned, this term is compound in nature, and consists of two distinct parts of Geo and Polytic. These two sections are different in nature. The first section, Geo, is a concrete, general, and essential phenomenon, but the second section, Politik, is not an essential phenomenon, rather it is an abstract and a dummy phenomenon (i.e., made by humans). According to this argument, the ratio of knowledge and value dominates between these two sections, and they relate to the subject of concrete and abstract theorems. Thus, in such a framework, the relationship between these two sections can be explained in this compound word.
5. Conclusion
But how we can analyzed geopolitics epistemological nature? The geopolitics concept is the product of three categories: Geographic Resources, At least two agents and the existence of a relationship of interaction, opposition, competition and domination between agents. All three cases are objective facts; however the concept of geopolitics is subjective and created in the mind.
In the context of Geopolitics’ conceptualization from the epistemological point of view, it must be said that this concept is created in the mind and with the help of reason by making a comparison between the three realities of Geographic source, at least two actors and the relation of interaction, opposition, competition and domination among them. Naturally, these three objective facets are concrete phenomena and make the geopolitics’ conceptual structure a rational abstract phenomenon.
The result of concrete and abstract combinations is nothing but an abstract combination. Due to the dual nature of the geopolitics’ components, (i.e., the concrete Geo and abstract politik), the combination of two parts of geopolitics itself will be an abstract phenomenon.
 

Keywords

.Philosophy of Science; Epistemology; Science; Abstract Science; Geopolitics

References

1. Abolghasemi, M. (2014). Etymology, Tehran: Qoqnoos (In Persian).

2. Cohen, S. B. (1973). Geography & Politics in a World Divided, (2nd Ed.), New York: Oxford University Press.

3. Cohen, S. B. (2010). Geopolitics of the World System. (A. Kardan, Trans.). Tehran: Abrar Moaser (In Persian).

4. Cohen, S. B. (2014). Geopolitics: The Geography of International Relations, (3rd Ed.), USA: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

5. Dabbagh, H. (2015). Figures of Trope in Reality: The entry of metaphors in science, Tehran: Hermes (In Persian).

6. Davari Ardakani, R. (2011). About Science (3rd Ed.), Tehran: Hermes (In Persian).

7. Dodds, K. & Arkinson, D. (2000). Geopolitical Tradition, New York: Routledge.

8. Dodds, K. (2011). Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction, (M. Zohdi & Z. Pishgahifard, Trans.). Tehran: Sohreh (In Persian).

9. Ezzati, E. (2006). Geopolitics, Tehran: SAMT(In Persian).

10. Flint, C. (2007). Introduction to Geopolitics, London: Routlegde, 13.

11. Ganji, M. H. (2007). Introduction to Philosophy, Tehran: SAMT (In Persian).

12. Gulabi, F. & Shahbazi Ghepchaqh E. (2014). Habermas and Popper: Epistemological Query, Tehran: Tisa (In Persian).

13. Hafeznia, M.R. (2006). Principles and Concepts of Geopolitics, Mashhad: Papoli (In Persian).

14. Hafeznia, M.R. et al. (2010). Power and National Interests, Tehran: Entekhab (In Persian).

15. Ibn Khaldūn, Abd ar-Raḥmān (1990). The Muqaddimah: An introduction to history. (M.P. Gonabadi, Trans.). Tehran: Elmi va Farhangi (In Persian).

16. Karam, Y. (2011). Kant's philosophy (Review & Critique). (M., Mohammadrezayi, Trans.). Tehran: Bustan Ketab (In Persian).

17. Mesbah, M. & Mohammadi, A. (2015). Epistemology, Qom: Moas’sese Imam Khomeini (In Persian).

18. Mesbah-Yazdi, M.T. (2012). Moral Philosophy, Tehran: Chap va Nashr Beinalmelal (In Persian).

19. Mesbah-Yazdi, M.T. (2015). Teaching Philosophy (1st Volume), Tehran: Chap va Nashr Beinalmelal (In Persian).

20. Mirheydar, D. & Hamidinia, H. (2006). Comparison of Political Geography and International Relations in terms of Methodology and Concepts, Geopolitics Quarterly, 2nd Year, No. 1, Spring 2006 (In Persian).

21. Mirheydar, D. (2005). Principles of Political Geography, Tehran: Smat (In Persian).

22. Mirheydar, D. (2007). Fundamental Concepts in Political Geography, Tehran: Sazman Jografiayi Niruhaye Mosallah (In Persian).

23. Mojtahed-Zadeh, P. (2002). political Geography and Geographical Policy, Tehran: Samt (In Persian).

24. Montesquieu, Ch.L. (1964). The Spirit of the Laws. (A.A. Mohtadi, Trans.). Tehran: Amirkabir (In Persian).

25. Moser, P.K. (2002). The Oxford Handbook of Epistemology, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

26. Muir, R.E. (2000). Political Geography: A New Introduction. (D. Mirheydar,Trans.). Tehran: Sazman Jografiayi Niruhaye Mosallah (In Persian).

27. Naghibzadeh, A. (2008). Introduction to Political Sociology, Tehran: Samt (In Persian).

28. Naraghi, Y. (2016). Philosophy of Science: studying science in the context of philosophy, Tehran: Et’tela’at (In Persian).

29. Okasha, S. (2012). Philosophy of Science. (H., Panahandeh, Trans.). Tehran: Farhang Moaser (In Persian).

30. Popper, K. (1993). Realism and the Aim of Science, (A. Aram, Trans.). Tehran: Soroush (In Persian).

31. Popper, K. (1996). Conjectures and Refutations: The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. (A. Aram, Trans.). Tehran: Sherkat Sahami Enteshar (In Persian).

32. Price, J.A. (2014). Medieval and Modern Philosophy, (R. Alizadeh, Trans.). Tehran: Rozaneh (In Persian).

33. Sadeghi, R. (2015). Understanding the Contemporary Philosophy of Science, Tehran: Samt (In Persian).

34. Sheikh Rezayi, H. & Karbasizadeh, A. (2016). Understanding the Philosophy of Science, Tehran: Hermes (In Persian).

35. Soroush, A. (1997). Lectures in the Philosophy of Social Sciences: Hermeneutics in Social Sciences, Tehran: Nashr Ney (In Persian).

36. Soroush, A. (2014). What is Science, what is Philosophy, Tehran: Serat (In Persian).

37. Soroush, A. (2015). Philosophical Study of Science, Tehran: Serat (In Persian).

38. Tabataba’i, M. H. (1983). Septette Treatises, Qom: Bonyad Allameh Tabataba’i (In Persian).

39. Tabataba’i, M.H. (2015). The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism (2nd Volume) with the commentary of Morteza Motahhari, Tehran: Sadra (In Persian).

40. Tuathail, G. O. & Dalby, S. (1998). Rethinking Geopolitics, New York: Routledge.

41. Vaezi, M. (2008). Geopolitics of crisis in the Central Asia and Caucasus, Tehran: Daftar Motaleat Siasi va Beinalmelali (In Persian).