Geodeterminism: Truth or Illusion?

Abstract

The paper is about geographical determinism (geodeterminism), allegedly a foundation of geopolitics. According to this doctrine, the development of society depends on the geographical environment. This paper is divided into three parts. The first part is devoted to an historical overview of geodeterminism and the difference between geodeterminism and geopolitics. The views of ancient Greek philosophers, Middle Eastern scholars, and mediaeval European thinkers are discussed. In the second part, geodeterminism is presented as a genuine phenomenon, and various arguments and examples are given to prove it. In contrast, the third part is devoted to reasoning, based on which geodeterminism can be perceived as an illusion. The last part is the conclusion, which summarises the topics discussed above and formulates some concluding remarks. The paper is framed within a methodological framework. It is based on qualitative research methods, which enabled an in-depth analysis of the information surrounding the research question. In particular, content analysis was used. The research relies on both primary and secondary sources. The paper is largely based on various books, articles, and studies that have made it possible to find an answer to the research question, which served to determine whether geodeterminism is true or is it just an illusion?