Introduction

Various analysts have presented divergent arguments concerning whether geography constitutes an art or a science. It has been determined that both elements must be integrated into this study. Geography encompasses the examination of the Earth. It is entirely theoretical, as many of its assertions rely on the premise that researchers continually alter their conclusions based on differing results. It examines the enigmatic characteristics of their planet and seeks to elucidate their existence, including the separation of land and water. Characteristics of the terrain and its denizens, along with the reasons for human and animal settlement and adaptation to diverse ecosystems. Contemporary geographical research examines Earth’s intricate characteristics and its differentiation from other celestial bodies. Geography can be categorized into physical, regional, and geomantic branches, encompassing art, human aspects, and environmental factors, thereby highlighting the scientific nature of the discipline. This paper will concentrate on examining the aspects of Geography that qualify it as a science. This encompasses not only biological science but also fields such as political science and its connection to geography. Nevertheless, the paramount characteristic that qualifies Geography as a science is the human examination of the subject. It delineates and influences the interaction between humans and the diverse environments to which they may be subjected. The political, cultural, economic, and social factors are delineated.

The Place of Geography among Other Sciences

Taylor (1990) states, “Eight principal divisions in the geographical field are encompassed within the large circle, while outside the circle, there are eight additional major sciences with which these divisions are closely associated.” The subdivisions of geography are predominantly founded on scientific principles. Likewise, the sciences related to geography derive their study context from geographical content. These two are interconnected, as noted in the introduction because science aims to elucidate certain theoretical aspects of geography. The interaction between the environment and the planet. Geography delineates the Earth and its encompassing environments. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the Earth’s components and their potential impacts on humans in the event of certain occurrences. Events like earthquakes are entirely scientific in nature. The probability of their occurrence is grounded in scientific explanations of the world and its constituents. This is a concise elucidation of the correlation between Geography and science. Taylor (1990) defines Geography as “…focused on the description, localization, and elucidation of the facts pertaining to humanity’s relationship with the material environment.” This, similar to numerous other characterizations of the discipline, is not examined in depth. Nonetheless, it establishes an indisputable link between the subject and science, which serves as the foundation of the essay. The diverse arguments that have substantiated the classification of the discipline as a science encompass:

Definition

The definition of a concept or a particular discipline goes a long way in terms of the description of its nature or role. For instance, the definition of geography gives a clear description of the discipline as a science. Though no definition is deemed to be perfectly correct, many scholars have resorted to defining it as a discipline dealing with the environment and humans and their relationship to the earth. It is also agreeable that some of the theoretical aspects, such as the components of planet Earth, which include the core and the crust, have a scientific assumption on which they are based. There is also a belief that science is what people who call themselves scientists actually do. Scientists create assumptions or anticipated results regarding a certain matter, and then they research, maintain the findings proven, and eliminate those proven not to be true.

In Geography, geographers’ research also creates assumptions of the outcome they expect based on their study. Upon finding the actual facts, they draw a conclusion based on the most convincing facts. With this description, it would be justifiable to comment and state that geographers are scientists since they do what they describe as what they should be doing as earlier described. However, it is worth noting that elements of geography are science, but elements of science are not geographical. They only support the development of the discipline in making practical the findings.

Geography’s Varying Nature

When looking at the common component of both geography and science, the earth and humans/animals are identified. In actual sense, these are the main components of science as well. There is no one specific method that designs the process of research (Hartshorne, 1958). This applies to both science and geography, thus another similarity. The world is believed to be changing with time so as do the living things existing in it. Its existence in today’s world largely differs with nature years ago however little. Though the spa issues might be discussed and analyzed, the changes are different and have differing degrees. It has been experimentally proven that the similarity in varying nature goes further to proving the relationship between geography and science, thus its classification as a science.

Environmental Issues

The world has discussed the effects of the formation of the ozone layer for over 100 years all over the nation. The issue has been popularized in awareness campaigns, with education offered about its cause and results in global warming. Today, the effects are felt slightly and are believed to increase with time unless caution is taken. In relation to the subject matter, global warming is a geographical topic of discussion since it involves the effects of unwanted material over the air and overheating to melt mountain ice and drain the water to the rivers. The causes are, however, scientific in the inclusion of components such as smoke in the air and deforestation, which eliminates the material that would purify the harmful component. The solution that involves constructing Greenhouses is also a scientific procedure. This is a clear indication of the interrelation of the two disciplines, thus qualifying geography as a science. It further shows that most of the problems caused to the earth’s centre are due to biological negligence. On the other hand, the solutions lie within the same unit, biology. It is also clear that the joining of the two aspects during study and research goes a long way towards establishing that geography is fully a science rather than a science and art.

Research Carried Out Using Scientific Methods

Williams (2008) argued that for “So many years’ geographers followed scientific methods, in order to shape geography into an academic subject and recognized fully as a science. But has this been achieved?” this brings to light the group of researchers who feel that the contents in geography should be given fu; recognition as a scientific unit and totally scrapped off of the art perspective. The opposite is also true for those researching on its basis as an art. However, as (Williams, 2008) argues, the research of the geographical material with the use of scientific methods qualifies it to be a science. The knowledge was evidently gained following the observation and deduction of laws governing changes and conditions and the test of these conditions experimentally. There have been academic journals, books, and reports written in regard to the nature of Geography. Most of the research they entailed was based on scientific findings. Though not scientific from the perspective of disciplines such as chemistry, biology and physics, it incorporated simple facts of all the units mentioned.

Link to biology

Geography has been associated with biology for numerous years. Biology, as a science, possesses an inherent scientific nature due to its evident connections. Most physical geographers must gather quantified terrestrial elements, such as soil, that will yield accurate results upon testing to indicate potential changes in the Earth. Soil samples may be analyzed for various alterations and components. The approach employed to evaluate these components is exclusively biological. Similar to the assessments conducted for substances like manure and humus in biological studies, analogous evaluations are performed in geography, which pertains to alterations associated with terrestrial phenomena. The discipline is connected to science as it offers a comprehensive analysis of environmental impacts on geographical elements like soil and, subsequently, on humans. The examination of these data is unequivocally a biological procedure, thereby establishing an essential connection of the unit to science. Williams (2008) posits that “this implies that geography is a science, which necessitates meticulous observation and experimental testing of deductions.” It also demonstrates that geography encompasses human factors that conventionally utilize qualitative data. As the human element is non-numerical, many individuals may also perceive it as scientific. Numerous areas of interest in its connection, such as the quantitative aspects of collection, further establish it as a science.

Geography and Computational Science

Armstrong, (2000) stated that, “The common thread that ties together such seemingly disparate activities is a shared focus on the application of advanced computing to problems that heretofore were either intractable or in some cases unimagined.” This should give a view of the inability of geography to become practical without the support of scientific strategies and arguments. Also, geography plays a significant role in terms of the opportunities it has at the intersection of computational science and geographical modeling. The application of scientific technology in geography to prove desired/predicted results is also a way to show the connection between the two and further description of geography as a science. Geographers have specified test models for many decades now where computational science has made it available to pursue research and teaching initiatives. The science has made significant contributions towards this achievement. This proves that most of the geographical hitches can only be solved sufficiently by scientific procedures and experiments. As (Armstrong, 2000) implies, there have been numerous hitches where other methods have been used to find permanent solutions. Though they have worked occasionally, it has been for limited periods before they recur. Computational science that applies technology has enabled the establishment of what id believed to have bee a permanent solution. Though scholars are quite optimistic, time will prove the effectiveness of the procedure, thus the scientific role. This has also proven that the relationship between geography and science makes geography a science.

Conclusion

Though the research that proves this has received numerous criticisms, it is evident that geography is a science. Some scholars and researchers have gone as far as demanding the scrapping of the unit as an art. They base this on the fact that the discipline cannot be practical, especially in research with the absence of scientific contribution. The paper has also established the relationship between the two and the role each plays in building the other. It is, therefore, undisputed that geography is more of a science than an art. Though researchers have found enough evidence to prove that it is not an art, its contribution from science gives it more weight as a science than art.

References:

Armstrong, M. (2000). Geography and Computational Science. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 90(1). pp 146-156.

Hartshorne, R. (1958). The Concept of Geography as a Science of Space, From Kant and Humboldt to Hettner. Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 48(2). pp 97-108.

Taylor, G. (1990). Geography the Correlative Science. The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, 1(4). pp. 535-550.

Williams, B. (2008). Is Geography a Science? Philosophy of Science. Retrieved from http://scienceray.com/philosophy-of-science/is-geography-a-science/3/

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