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THE STUDY OF GEOGRAPHY FRANZ BOAS It is a remarkable fact, that, in the recent literature of geography, researches on the method and limits of that science occupy a prominent place.I Almost every distinguished geographer has felt the necessity ofexpressing his views on its aim and scope, and of defending it from being disintegrated and swallowed up by geology, botany, history, and other sciences treating on subjects similar to or identical with those of geography. If the representatives of a science as young as geography spend a great part of their time in discussions of this kind, though the material for investigations is still unlimited; if they feel compelled to defend their field of research against assaults of their fellow-workers and outsiders-the reason for this fact must be looked for in a deep discrepancy between their fundamental views of science and those of their adversaries. Formerly, when the greater part of the earth's surface was undiscovered, and European vessels sailed only over their well-known routes from continent to continent, careful not to stray from the old path and fearing the dangers of unknown regions, the mere thought of these vast territories which had never been sighted by a European could fill the mind of geographers with ardent longing for extended knowledge; with the desire of unveiling the secrets of regions enlivened by imagination with figures of unknown animals and peoples. But the more completely the outlines of continents and islands became known, the stronger grew the desire to understand the phenomena of the newly discovered regions by comparing them with those of one's own country. Instead of merely extending their study over new areas, scientists began to be absorbed in examining the phenomena more intently, and comparing them with the results of observations already made. Thus Humboldt's admirable works and Karl Ritter's comparative geography arose out of the rapidly extending knowledge of the earth. 1. The text reproduced here, except for minimal adjustments of punctuation, is that of the original publication, in Science 9 (#210,2/11/1887): 137-41. Although there were a few minor editorial changes in the version Boas reprinted in 1940 in Race, Language and Culture (pp. 63947 ), none were such as to affect the meaning. 9 10 FRANZ BOAS The fact that the rapid disclosure of the most remote parts of the globe coincided with the not less rapid development of physical sciences has had great influence upon the development of geography; for while the circle of phenomena became wider every day, the idea became prevalent that a single phenomenon is not of great avail, but that it is the aim of science to deduce laws from phenomena; and the wider their scope, the more valuable they are considered. The descriptive sciences were deemed inferior in value to researches which had hitherto been outside their range. Instead of systematical botany and zoology, biology became the favorite study; theoretical philosophy was supplanted by experimental psychology; and, by the same process, geography was disintegrated into geology, meteorology, etc. Ever since, these sciences have been rapidly developed, but geography itself has for a long time been almost overshadowed by its growing children. However , we do not think they can fill its place, and wish to prove that its neglect cannot be remedied by the attentive cultivation of those sciences separately. Those accustomed to value a study according to the scope of the laws found by means of it are not content with researches on phenomena such as are the object of geography. They consider them from a physical stand-point, and find them to be physical, meteorological, or ethnological; and, after having explained them by means of physical, physiological, or psychological laws, have finished their work. It is very instructive to consider thoroughly their definition of geography. They declare that the domain of this science comprises neither magnetical and meteorological nor geological phenomena and processes. They generously grant it the study of the distribution of animals and plants, as far as physiologists and evolutionists will permit; but all agree that anthropogeography -the life of man as far as it depends on the country he lives in-is the true domain of geography. It is not difficult to discover the principle on which this segregation is founded. Physical phenomena are subject to physical laws which are known, or which will assuredly be found by the methods used in discovering those that are known. Physiological, and, to a still higher degree, psychological...

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