1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910337893503321

Autore

Stogiannos Alexandros

Titolo

The Genesis of Geopolitics and Friedrich Ratzel : Dismissing the Myth of the Ratzelian Geodeterminism / / by Alexandros Stogiannos

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Cham : , : Springer International Publishing : , : Imprint : Springer, , 2019

ISBN

3-319-98035-1

Edizione

[1st ed. 2019.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xvi, 252 pages) : illustrations

Collana

Historical Geography and Geosciences, , 2520-1379

Disciplina

320.943

Soggetti

Historical geography

World politics

Plants

International relations

Ethnology

Europe—History

Historical Geography

Political History

Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography

International Relations

Ethnography

European History

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Nota di contenuto

1. Friedrich Ratzel and Geopolitics -- 2. F. Ratzel’s State as a “social organism” -- 3. Living space (Lebensraum): Bio-geographical signifier with political-geographical signified? -- 4. Social / cultural aspects as factors of power contibutors in Ratzel’s state analysis and the issue of racism -- 5. Ratzel’s worldview (Weltanschauung) and the “Positivist Circle of Leipzig”. The meaning of Ratzel’s law -- 6. Ratzel, Central Europe (Mitteleuropa) and “European Union” -- 7. Fr. Ratzel and the Eastern Question: Flag follows trade -- 8. Final Conclusions.

Sommario/riassunto

This book discusses the influence of Friedrich Ratzel's ideas in more contemporary geopolitical analytical systems and the geodeterminism



commonly attributed to him. The author thoroughly analyzes the structural components of Ratzel's thought. The research is inspired by the numerous contradictory approaches in the secondary literature, presenting Ratzel as both humanist and racist, geo-determinist and multidimensional analyst, organicist and social scientist, precursor of Geopolitics and opponent to the same idea. In this work, more particular issues are approached: the establishment of a scientific Political Geography; the methodological approach of his multidisciplinary work; the redefinition of his geopolitical period; his notion of state and the evaluation of sociological and cultural parameters as factors of state power; the biogeographical content of the notion of Lebensraum; his attitude towards the racist theories as well as towards the Darwinian theories; his overall worldview and the confrontation with cosmopolitism; his contribution to an interdisciplinary, positivist and scientific approach in analyzing social and international affairs; his thoughts on the architecture of Europe. The book will be useful for researchers and students in many scientific fields, such as International Relations, Geopolitics, Geography and History of Geography.