Science, Philosophy and Physical Geography

This essential text bridges the critical gap between scientific practice and philosophical foundations within physical geography, offering a much-needed corrective to a field often dominated by empirical data collection. Robert Inkpen meticulously examines how philosophical assumptions underpin scientific methodologies, demonstrating that concepts like realism, positivism, and hypothesis testing are not abstract ideas but the very scaffolding of geographical inquiry. The book compellingly argues that a philosophically aware physical geography is a more rigorous and self-critical discipline, moving beyond a simple "what" to explore the deeper "how" and "why" of its investigative processes.

What sets this work apart is its accessible yet uncompromising approach to making complex philosophical debates relevant to the practicing geoscientist and student. It empowers readers to critically evaluate the nature of evidence, the limits of models, and the role of theory, transforming them from passive technicians into reflective scholars. For anyone engaged in environmental science, earth systems research, or geomorphology, this book provides the intellectual toolkit to not just do geography, but to truly understand it.