It is impossible to understand ratzels politische geographie without placing the figure of its author in the perspective of the critical bourgeois geography of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. Conventionally, for the purposes of analysis, political geography adopts a threescale structure with the study of the state at the centre, the study of international relations or geopolitics. The german geographer friedrich ratzel has been attributed with the. He traveled as a journalist in europe 1869 and in cuba, mexico, and the united states 187275. Although friedrich ratzel is inextricably linked to geopolitics, modern day scientific discussions often reflect on two debatable points. It is impossible to understand ratzels politische geographie without placing the figure of its author in the perspective of the critical bourgeois geography of the.
The book will be useful for researchers and students in many scientific fields, such as international relations, geopolitics, geography and history of geography. Thereafter he devoted himself to geographical studies and taught geography at the polytechnical school in munich 187686 and at the univ. Ratzel points out that the state is often treated as if it were in the air, and had no connection with the land. Friedrich ratzel, a nineteenthcentury german geographer, developed the organic theory. He is remembered as the author of several books on ethnology and human and political geography in which he described his observations during extensive travels in europe and the americas. Perspective on ratzels political geography book, 1983. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. In the application of geography to men, we always deal with men in society or in groups, so that one can legitimately give to the term of political geography a wider meaning that extends also to human geography. Friedrich attended high school in karlsruhe for six years before being apprenticed at age 15 to apothecaries. Imperialism and the nation state in friedrich ratzels political.
Friedrich ratzel was a german geographer and ethnographer, notable for coining the term lebensraum living space. He originated the concept of lebensraum, or living space, which relates human groups to the spatial units where they develop. While traditional political geography s coverage of territorial questions was substantial, the conventional wisdom holds that, in academic terms at least, it was far from enlight. Ratzel s american disciple ellen semple argued in her programmatically entitled book influences of. Pdf friedrich ratzel and the origins of lebensraum. He published his work on political geography, politische geographie, in 1897. Since the size of the earths surface sets limits to this development, the zenith can be reached by only a few states at the same time ratzel, 1897. Friedrich ratzel 18441904, author of several publications from the turn of the 20th century dealing with political geography, is considered the founder of the concept of lebensraum.
Friedrich ratzel german geographer considered the father of modern human geography. Rudolf kjellen was the student and follower of another prominent thinker in the realm of political geography studies, friedrich ratzel. Yet, the majority of evolutionary approaches are limiting, to say nothing of being potentially stodgy and boring. Geopolitics geopolitics may be defined, crudely, as the influence of geography upon politics. Ratzel in his book political geography compared state to an organism. The laws of the spatial growth of states friedrich ratzel international law defines as the province of a state that part of the earth which is subject to the government of the state. Friedrich ratzel brought together for the first time in systematic form the data and problems with which political geography has to deal. Download pdf friedrich ratzel free online new books in. Share ratzel said that a state requires nourishment, in the global context, this means territory to gain political power.
Imperialism and the nation state in friedrich ratzels. Yet, the majority of evolutionary approaches are limiting, to say nothing of being. Ratzel came into geography after advanced training in zoology. Friedrich ratzel april 30, 1844 august 9, 1904, german. This book discusses the influence of friedrich ratzels ideas in more. There are in ratzel s scientific writings, especially in his treatment of lebensraum, a great. This work was misinterpreted by many of his students, creating a number of environmental determinists. For political geography, on the other hand, all of those. This philosophy of ratzel is called as lebensraum which means a living space. His initial insight was that a social group of human beings in many ways functions similarly to an individual, organic organism, namely seeking the necessities for life and sufficient space in which to find or produce themlebensraum. A second strand is more theoretically motivated and has looked beyond ratzel s political geography and into his bio and environmental geography, asking questions about the way in which ratzel s geography has chimed with advances in contemporary social theory, in particular with regard to morethanhuman geography, new materialism and. Proposed by friedrich ratzel german geographer in 1897.
His twovolume work anthropogeographie, published in 1882, presents for the first time a broad vision of the. In the case of political geography, the usual story is of a. The year of the publication of friedrich ratzel s politische geographie 1897. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Because of geography, for example, athens was a thalassocracy a sea empire whereas sparta was a land power. Friedrich ratzel and the nature of political geography. The genesis of geopolitics and friedrich ratzel springerlink. The subject, as hitherto treated in our textbooks, has been the driest and most unprofitable of all tasks. However, ratzel adds, political and geographical parcelling progressively fades away as neighbouring.
Political geography is an academic discipline studying the interaction between political. But it is precisely this identification that german bourgeois geographers appropriated in the second half of the nineteenth century, after the bourgeoisie came into power through a compromise with its ancient political opponent. Ratzels father was the head of the household staff of the grand duke of baden. Ratzels idea of lebensraum into a political programme that was then. Publication date 1897 topics geopolitics, political science publisher munchen, r. Friedrich ratzel was a prominent german geographer and ethnographer. Human geography encyclopedia of life support systems. Geopolitics refers to how politics plays a role in geography and influences different geographic attributes such as political borders. Friedrich ratzel, who founded the subfields of political geography and anthropo geography as the study of the geographical basis of the states action ratzel 1882, 1897. From the middle of the 1870s, the major european powers embarked upon the most ambitious. He believed that the state was organic because he believed that political bodies, such as countries, behave in a way similar to that of living organisms. Friedrich ratzel and the origins of lebensraum woodruff d.
The german geographer friedrich ratzel 18441904 was the author of several books on ethnology and human and political geography in which he described his observations during extensive travels in europe and the americas. Ap human geography unit 4 vocab flashcards quizlet. Dismissing the myth of the ratzelian geodeterminism. Thetendencyistopresentastoryofprogressfrom a benighted past to an enlightened present. Isaiah bowman and the americanization of ratzel s political geography. This book discusses the influence of ratzel s ideas in contemporary geopolitical analytical systems and the geodeterminism attributed to him. In the later part of the 19th century friedrich ratzel dominated the geographical scene in germany.
Friedrich ratzel biography, birth date, birth place and. Political geography is concerned with the study of both the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures. Ratzel produced the foundations of human geography in his threevolume anthropogeographie from to he was a pioneer in developing the school of anthropogeography and was the founder of modern political geography. In this essay i will argue that the essence of friedrich ratzels political geography is to be understood within this context of late nineteenth. The neglected gift of ratzel forfrom the indian ocean. Ratzel likened the state to an organism which needed further space or lebensraum in order to expand. While geopolitics usually refers to countries and relations between them, it may also focus on two other kinds of states. Publication date 19091912 topics human geography publisher stuttgart, j. Ratzel, friedrichgerman geographer, a founder of modern political geography, the study of the environments influence on politics.
In 1863, he went to rapperswil on the lake of zurich, switzerland, where he began to study the classics. Politische geographie by ratzel, friedrich, 18441904. In this work, more particular issues are approached. However, the knowledge background received in this field was not an obstacle for him to become the founder of a new discipline. It introduces a new viewpoint in evaluating ratzel s concept of political geography and consequently his contribution to leading geopolitical concepts. Mentioning friedrich ratzel 18441904 in a geography seminar, at. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Ratzel produced the foundations of human geography in his twovolume anthropogeographie in 1882 and 1891.
Friedrich ratzel and the nature of political geography sciencedirect. Biogeographical signifier with politicalgeographical signified. Dismissing the myth of the ratzelian geodeterminism historical geography and geosciences by alexandros stogiannos english 2018 isbn. Anthropogeography after ratzel anthropogeography, or the geography of friedrich ratzel, is widely acknowledged as the groundwork of human geography. Friedrich ratzel download friedrich ratzel ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. Ratzel 18441904, who had studied, among other subjects, zoology in heidelberg and jena, was a german pharmacist, zoologist, and journalist. Friedrich ratzels views on human geography and geopolitics. The organic theory, along with the heartland and rimland theories, falls under political geography, otherwise known as geopolitics. Ratzel also explained that human societies made progress in stages. In ratzels political geography the question of continuous. The problem of the limitations of the earths surface, which is a given condition, poses a major problem as life itself doesnt necessarily remain static. Ratzel has done a service for which geographical students will be grateful, by bringing together for the first time in systematic form the data and problems with which political geography has to deal. This organic theory of the state could be said to re.
331 178 831 369 991 656 226 671 62 277 374 387 12 868 26 383 299 520 1234 934 1166 1008 116 358 1425 273 541 37 1370 341 35 416 741 28 371 190 26 841 719 646 473