Science, philosophy and physical geography - Inkpen, Robert 1964-; Wilson, Graham (London Routledge, 2013)
Ch. 1 Ideas, change and stability in physical geography -- What are ideas and how do they change? -- Johannes Umbgrove and plate tectonics -- Is there a history of ideas in physical geography? -- What are the important concepts in physical geography? -- Chaos, complexity and Earth Systems Science (ESS) -- Summary -- ch. 2 The nature of reality -- What is reality? -- Views of different philosophies -- Case Study: Critical rationalism: an example from environmental reconstruction -- Reality as a dialogue -- Theory, reality and practice -- Case Study: Myths and theories -- Physical geography as historical science -- Summary -- ch. 3 Entities and classification -- Introduction -- What are entities? -- Entities and kinds -- Case Study: Species as natural kinds -- Case Study: Magnitude and frequency - entities out of context -- Classification -- Case Study: The EU Water Framework Directive and the classification of surface water status -- Case Study: Classification of soils -- Events - mega entities? -- Summary -- ch. 4 Forms of explanation -- Explanation in physical geography -- What is explanation? -- Causality -- Case Study: necessary and sufficient conditions -- Explanatory frameworks -- Case Study: Abduction as a form of explanation in environmental reconstruction -- Case Study: Linking theory and practice -- The problems of causation -- Summary -- ch. 5 Probing reality -- Probing and the dialogue with reality -- Measurement systems -- Case Study: Triangulation of techniques - measurement of surface form on rocks -- Practice in physical geography -- Case Study: Linking process and form - intensive study of bedforms -- Case Study: Probing reality - fluvial flow structure -- Case Study: Multiple working hypotheses -- Summary -- ch. 6 The field -- What is `field science'? -- The philosophies of fieldwork -- Case Study: Local underdeterminism and the Younger Dryas event -- 'Simplifying the field'- laboratory and experimental research -- Monitoring the field -- Fieldwork as a reflective and imaginative practice -- Summary -- ch. 7 Systems -- the framework for physical geography? -- Systems analysis in physical geography -- Application of systems thinking -- Systems and change -- Case Study: Systems and landscape sensitivity -- Summary -- ch. 8 Change and complexity -- Equilibrium -- an ex-concept? -- Chaos and complexity - more of the same? -- Case study: Chaos theory and ecological systems -- Emergence and hierarchies - scale revisited? -- Case Study: Scale and (dis)connectivity -- Case Study: Complexity and change - landscape evolution and organisation -- Summary -- ch. 9 Modelling -- Conceptual approaches to modelling -- Types of models -- Case Study: Numerical modelling of Late Quaternary relative sea-level change and glacial isostatic adjustment -- Issues in modelling - bounding, parameters and uncertainty -- Case Study: GLUE and modelling - analysing uncertainty -- Summary -- ch. 10 Physical geography and societies -- Paradigms and social networks -- Social construction and physical geography? -- Ethics in physical geography --- reflection required? -- Case Study: Fraud in physical geography? -- Physical and human geography - division or integration? -- Participatory science and physical geography -- Summary.
Keywords: Physical geography -- Philosophy