The Landscape Concept in Russian Scientific Thought, c1880s - 1991

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Recent studies in the geography and sociology of scientific knowledge have suggested that the conceptual understandings and practices of science vary spatially across a range of scales. This proposal aims to extend this literature by means of a detailed empirical study of the historical development and evolution of a key environmental science concept, namely that of 'landscape', within an understudied national context, that of Russia. The project will argue that differences in scientific understanding arise not only from the particularities of disciplinary debate but also from distinctive traditions of scientific thought specific to different countries. Through a detailed study of Russia, the project will seek to show how the landscape concept was received, interpreted and contested in that particular country, whilst remaining sensitive to the many ways in which such understandings were influenced by events and ideas in the wider world. In so doing the project will make a significant contribution to the broader literature on landscape.The landscape concept has recently been the focus of considerable attention in the English-language literature, particularly within the discipline of geography and cognate areas. This reflects the concept's versatility and interdisciplinary nature, with its ability to rove across the interface between the physical and social sciences. In the context of current debates about global environmental change, this characteristic has appealed to many scholars and draws attention to the concept's pertinence to present-day sustainability concerns. There has been a commensurate rise in interest in the ways in which landscape has been understood and used in the various disciplines. But whilst there have been a number of attempts to trace the origins of the term, such analysis has tended to focus on the English-language literature and there has so far been limited consideration of the ways in which the landscape idea was encountered in non-English speaking contexts such as Russia and the subsequent ways in which it was interpreted, accommodated and transformed.While it is clearly problematic to advance the notion of a rigid, nationally-based science in view of the mutable character of scientific thought and practice as well as the porous nature of national borders to scientific ideas, it is also evident that particular socio-cultural settings have the potential to generate distinctive traditions of thought and enquiry. For example, the Russian approach to the landscape concept is characterised by a distinct sensitivity towards the holistic character of landscape and the union between organic and inorganic matter which is less evident in the Anglo-American tradition. Building on the work of Vucinich (1970) and his efforts to assess the relationship between Russian culture and science from the mid-nineteenth century, a number of influential factors are worthy of consideration: (i)the particular needs (however defined) of a given society; (ii)the relative emphasis placed on either applied or pure scientific pursuits; (iii)the ability of dominant philosophical traditions to affect subsequent interpretations of scientific theory; (iv)the influence of key individuals. In addition to these domestic factors, external influences on national scientific endeavour and specific scientific understandings should also be acknowledged.In order to explore the historical roots and subsequent evolution of Russian understanding of the landscape concept, the research will include extensive library and archival work as well as discussions with academics working in the field. This work will be carried out in Russia, Germany, Finland and the UK.