论地理学的本体论问题

On the Issues of Ontology of Geography

在西方哲学中本体论是"第一哲学",是关于存在的理论和学说。现代的科学与社会科学哲学研究表明,科学和社会科学研究中本体论问题都是一个无法回避的基础性问题,是一切理论陈述的前提。因此,地理学研究也无法回避本体论问题,地理学本体论研究是理解地理学作为一个学科的前提条件,提出和系统的阐述地理学的本体论问题对于地理学的基础理论研究具有重要的意义。本文在简述本体论思想的基础上,论证了地理学本体论问题的逻辑根据,提出了地理学的本体论问题,界定了其内涵,论述了本体论问题研究对地理学研究的科学意义。地理学研究中,任何的本体论立场都有其历史的和视域的限制,因而也都有其局限性,因此以某种具体的哲学本体论学说和立场为前提的具体地理学理论和学派也都有其历史和视域的局限,澄明和揭示其本体论承诺有助于我们更合理的评价和看待地理学的不同理论观点和学派。

In the western philosophy, ontology is the ＂first philosophy＂, about the theories and doctrines of ＂being＂. Modem philosophical studies of science and social science show that ontology is a basic problem unavoidably and the premise of all the theoretical statement. So geographical re- searches also cannot avoid issue of ontology. The ontology research of geography is the premise to understand the geography as a discipline. It＇s im- portant for geography to put forward basic theory and elaborate systematically the other problems of geography. Whether scientist or philosopher, they construct and talk about a theory with their ontological attitude. Any scientific and social scientific theory has its ontological commitment, which indi- cates basic entities, state of the basic entities, nature and behavior of the basic entities in the area. The main contents of this paper include the fol- lowing two aspects： firstly~ it demonstrates the logical basis for geographical ontology, puts forward ontological problems on geography, defines the con- notation of geographical ontology; secondly, it states the scientific significance of ontology of geography for geographical research, In geographical re- search, any ontological position has its historical and perspective limitation so that it has some demerits. Any specific geographical theory and school under the structure of some specific philosophy also have its historical and perspective limitation. The clarification and reveal on its ontological com- mitment is helpful us to evaluate and view the different theoretical perspectives and schools of geography more reasonably.