Hidden philosophies: How geographic thought has been limited by its theoretical models

Dominant theoretical models in geography have been drawn by analogy from theories in economics and biology. The philosophical assumptions which underlie this transfer are normally unexamined. The economic model itself rests on a mechanical analogy and on a philosophy of science which emphasizes empiricism, determination and reductionism. The ecological model, while realist at base, is limited by the ontological priority it grants to Nature. Though some recent approaches in Marxism echo these old antinomies, a Marxist model based on the philosophy of internal relations offers an opportunity to transcend these barriers.