On rationality: Contemporary geography and the search for the foolproof method

Recent works on geographic explanation rest on an almost unanimous belief in the existence of a universal, discoverable form of rationality. At the same time, works in other disciplines — notably anthropology and the philosophy and history of science — are more circumspect; they suggest that there may be several or even many types of rationality. Because the question of the nature of rationality has decided implications insofar as other issues — of relativism, for example — are concerned, it is worth considering in more detail. Analysis suggests that those who believe in a universal form of rationality more fundamentally are expressing a desire for the creation of a foolproof method in geography, one based in part on a deep-seated but unquestioned belief in progress.