On the Criticism of the Unity of Geography

Anuchin replies to his critics, notably O. A. Konstantinov, whose review appeared in translation in Soviet Geography, December 1961, pp. 12–18.     

On the Concept of the Unity of Geography

The geography faculties of Moscow and Leningrad universities have, in general, been on opposite sides of the dispute over the Anuchin book, with Moscow geographers supporting the concept of the unity of geography, and the Leningraders opposed. The following letter is designed to show that at one time members of both faculties carried on discussion on that issue in a constructive spirit.     

The Concept of the Unity of Geography in the Solution of Basic Problems of Geography

The author, a supporter of the unity of geography, calls for integrated geographic research as the only method by which geography can make its contribution to the planning of economic development. Only such an integrated approach, he says, can raise geography from its present “second-rate” position among the sciences to the forefront of scientific contributions to the national program of building a Communist society.     

历史货币地理研究刍议

作为历史经济地理学的重要分支,历史货币地理研究迄今未引起学术界的充分关注。围绕历史货币地理研究的理论体系进行建构,无疑是非常有意义的尝试。我们对历史货币地理研究的对象、具体内容、与其他学科的相互关系、研究方法等问题进行了理论探讨,并提出了开创中国历史货币地理研究的建议,主张对先秦以来中国货币制度中长期存在的货币地域性问题进行全面而系统的研究。     

杞国史地考略

本文通过周代杞国史地的对比研究,论证了周代杞国不宜再分为“殷杞”、“周杞”或是“夏杞”、“夷杞”,而应该把杞作为一个国家来对待。同时也对商代、周代杞国的地望、迁移及迁移中的问题作了进一步论证。     

On the Significance of Lenin's Ideas for Soviet Geography

The president of the Geographical Society USSR reviews the present state of Soviet geographic theory in the light of Leninist philosophy. The objective existence of natural regions with definite boundaries is affirmed. The approach of “social physics,” applying natural laws to social phenomena, is rejected. The use of mathematical techniques is welcomed, but not to the extent of giving rise to a separate discipline of “theoretical geography” that would deal with whatever is common to both physical and economic geography. The geographical environment is defined as that part of the earth's natural environment in which nature and society are in direct interaction. Both geographical determinism and social determinism (geographical nihilism) are rejected. The definition of geography as a system of scientific disciplines is affirmed, and a proposed redefinition of geography as dealing with the evolution and control of dynamic spatial systems is rejected.     

蓟、燕分封与北京地区早期城市地理问题

周初在今北京地区分封蓟、燕二国,蓟在北,燕在南,两国各自建有都城,所知北京地区城市发展的历史即由此二城开始。蓟为武王褒封,代表当地旧族。燕为成王时封,时间略晚于蓟,代表周人北进势力。后燕盛,灭蓟,徙都蓟城。从历史地理角度观察,燕城（董家林古城）虽在政治上强大一时,但因交通地理条件所碍,遂被放弃。而蓟城位置优于燕城,故为历代沿用,发展壮大。蓟城是北京城市历史地理本质的代表者,是严格意义的今北京城的前身。     

论王先谦的《五洲地理志略》

《五洲地理志略》是王先谦晚年在学术研究方向转变之后所撰的一本比较成熟的史地学著作。作者以传播、普及中外历史地理知识为宗旨,向人们介绍西方史地学知识,并且将忧国意识与传统的史学方法融入撰写内容之中。作者对中外相关书籍认真比较后,广搜博采,严密考订,尤其关注于新近出现的人文地理大事件。作者重视探讨救亡途径,故而该书的撰述还体现出经世思想与忧患意识的时代特征。     

On new Directions in the Development of Soviet Economic Geography

A review of new research areas in Soviet economic geography distinguishes three categories of topics in terms of the level of advance and the volume of research being done. The most viable new areas, with a large number of studies, include the resource-oriented approach to economic geography and the systems approach to settlement geography. In other research areas, such as the geography of services and the geography of land use, only the first steps are being made. The lag in land-use studies behind the West is explained in terms of the large territory of the USSR, which is said to have made this type of research unnecessary until recently. The potentialities of some research areas are only just beginning to be perceived, notably in the case of studies on spatial value relationships, involving regional accounts and balance of payments.     

On the Problems of Geography and the Tasks of Popularizing Geographical Knowledge

A Moscow University geographer who advocates a unity of geography uses the medium of the Znaniye [Knowledge] Society, an organization for the popularization of scientific knowledge and communist ideology, to review the basic problems confronting geography as a research discipline. He reviews the historical sequence of philosophic concepts relating to the man-environment system in an attempt to justify his approach to the system as one in which both natural and social laws operate. Anuchin stresses the need for pure theoretical research in geography and polemicizes with those who seek prompt practical results. He restates his definition of the geographical environment as that part of the earth's landscape sphere in which nature and society interact as two parts of a single whole governed by distinctive laws. The metachronous character of development of the landscape sphere, with several parts formed at various times, is cited as an example of such a universal law. Anuchin agrees with the authors of The Science of Geography, the 1965 report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Geography, Division of Earth Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council, that geography's overriding problem is to gain an understanding of the man-environment system and to develop tools for geographical prediction. An ability to predict the consequences of man's interference in natural processes is depicted as the principal contribution that geography can make to the pursuit of knowledge at the present stage of human development. If geography is unable to meet its responsibilities, the problem of geographical prediction may have to be taken over by other disciplines. Soviet biologists have already suggested the creation of a new science, geohygiene, to deal with the man-environment relationship.     

The Geography of Population and the Geography of Services

In discussing a methodology for a geography of services, a new branch of Soviet geographic research, the authors propose geographically meaningful classifications of services, the use of value and labor-input indicators, the problem of a typology of service regions, and other aspects of research in this new discipline. The geography of services is found to be closely related to population geography because of the correlation between the distribution of services and the distribution of population.     

试论“两个历史过程”与“三个代表”的内在统一

所谓“两个历史过程”,指社会生产和经济化的发展过程,人的全面发展过程,两个历史过程的辩证统一,是江泽民“七一”讲话中提出的重要思想。本认为：这一思想与“三个代表”在本质上是一致的,中国共产党忠实履行“三个代表”的过程,也就是两个历史过程的实现过程。     

苏州博物馆馆藏地理类善本掇要

苏州自古即为造化钟意人文鼎盛之区,这片淡绿色的旖旎水乡孕育了50名文武状元,魁元如簇雄冠东南,清初吴江钮坊《觚媵续编》卷四“苏州土产”条^③中载：长洲硕儒汪琬曾在词馆对同僚日：苏产绝少,一为梨园子弟,另一便是状元。虽是戏言,亦可见吴下俊彦辈出佳士荟萃。     

明代梧州府军事地理研究

明代广西梧州府因其独特的地理形势,成为明王朝经略两广的战略要地.在明代两百七十余年间,军事布防体系经历了深刻的变化.明代梧州府的军事地理分布格局伴随着军队类型以及战争的需求等因素不断发生变化.先有“卫所旗军”,自明朝开国以来陆续地从外地调来兵员,相继设立了梧州守御千户所、五屯屯田千户所等一共五个千户所,分别进行弹压当地...     

在历史和地理的边缘:一九四九年的水岚村

公元2001年2月,一个偶然的机会,我在上海的一处冷摊上,意外地觅得一本50年前的日记--<詹庆良本日记>.     

先秦货币地名与历史地理研究

先秦货币地名与历史地理学各个组成部分(如经济地理、城市地理、政治地理和交通地理)之间有密切的关系,利用先秦货币地名资料对于历史地理学,特别是先秦货币地理研究具有重要的参考价值.     

鸦片战争前后的中国边疆史地研究

中国边疆史地研究在鸦片战争前后形成研究热潮并发展成专门的学问。其在鸦片战争前后的风气变化主要表现在 :一是对中国传统史学进行了深层次的总结 ;二是研究中开掘出富有时代气息的新因素 ;三是在社会变动的时代背景下对国家前途命运和民族史学发展方向的思考。这一时期的边疆史地学研究在中国史学发展过程中起了重要的过渡环节 ,客观上为近代史学的萌发提供了新的契机。     

On Some Problems of Theory and Practice in Economic Geography

The author, an opponent of Anuchin's views, charges that the discussion around the theory of a unified geography has been diverting the attention of the Geography Faculty of Moscow University away from practical tasks contributing to the growth of the national economy. Vol'skiy restates the Marxist theory of economic geography and calls on economic geographers for more constructive contributions to Communist economic development.