Abstract :
This study aims to explain various definitions for the concept of geography and major paradigms that are important in the historical development of the science of geography. For this purpose, various publications including geography, history and philosophy of the subject were studied and the integrity of the appropriate text in a chronological framework has been prepared under the research. Although the term geography was first stated indeed in the third century, B.C, it is thought of people on life style and space since the existence of the human being. Picturing of space (descriptive approach) is one of the first paradigms of geography. This also constituted the first phases of determinism. Afterwards, possibilist paradigm, in which human influences the natural environment and which claims that human changed this environment with various interventions against the impacts of natural environment that limited human life (determinism), has emerged. The concept of the mission undertaken has resulted in many paradigms. Probabilistic, military, spatial organization, landscapepaysage, chronological paradigm and humanist, feminist, postmodern and cybergeography paradigms followed these scientific approaches within geography. With the effect of technological advances, being able to obtain various data related to space rapidly, has provided the analysis of geographical environment by human according to distinctive perspectives. Through these data, dominating the geographical environment, in other words, concept of sanctioning geography has emerged. The final address of all the advances in geography is benefiting from all these spatial data and knowledge related to geographical environment for power struggle. Therefore, it will be appropriate to consider the geography as human’s attempt to control the space. As a result, the importance of geography as a deep and strategic science with the effect of scientific paradigms has been continuing to increase with each passing day. The use of geography, especially with the socio-economic and political approaches, as a strong tool for governments to control the space as a tool, has continued to give a deep and strategically vital identity to geography.
NaturalLanguageKeyword :
Geography , paradigm , geographical thought , development of geography , geographical paradigms
