| Unit name | Historical and Cultural 2: History of Geographical Thought from Columbus to Mackinder |
|---|---|
| Unit code | GEOG25090 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Mayhew |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
All units in Single Honours Geography Year 1 |
| Co-requisites |
For Syllabus 2A and 2C |
| School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
The period from c.1500 to c.1900 delimits a coherent era in the history of geographical thought, spanning from the voyages of Columbus and Da Gama to the formation of the modern university discipline of geography in the later nineteenth century. From Columbus's 'discovery' of the Americas to Livingstone's travels in Africa, there was an ambition to gain ever more detailed information about the surface of the globe. There was also a widespread demand for books which would summarise this information for an audience whose aims were political, imperial and commercial. The period also saw seminal texts published in the humanities and social sciences which responded to this developing geographical culture. This course provides a critical overview of the development of geography over four centuries, coupled to a series of detailed analyses of key texts in the history of geographical thought. It also introduces students to historiographical questions about the role of the history of geography in geography's nature in the present day.
