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This book discusses the influence of Friedrich Ratzel's ideas in more contemporary geopolitical analytical systems and the geodeterminism commonly attributed to him. The author thoroughly analyzes the structural components of Ratzel's thought.
The research is inspired by the numerous contradictory approaches in the secondary literature, presenting Ratzel as both humanist and racist, geo-determinist and multidimensional analyst, organicist and social scientist, precursor of Geopolitics and opponent to the same idea. In this work, more particular issues are approached: the establishment of a scientific Political Geography; the methodological approach of his multidisciplinary work; the redefinition of his geopolitical period; his notion of state and the evaluation of sociological and cultural parameters as factors of state power; the biogeographical content of the notion of Lebensraum; his attitude towards the racist theories as well as towards the Darwinian theories; his overall worldview and the confrontation with cosmopolitism; his contribution to an interdisciplinary, positivist and scientific approach in analyzing social and international affairs; his thoughts on the architecture of Europe.
The book will be useful for researchers and students in many scientific fields, such as International Relations, Geopolitics, Geography and History of Geography.
List of contents
1. Friedrich Ratzel and Geopolitics.- 2. F. Ratzel's State as a "social organism".- 3. Living space (Lebensraum): Bio-geographical signifier with political-geographical signified?.- 4. Social / cultural aspects as factors of power contibutors in Ratzel's state analysis and the issue of racism.- 5. Ratzel's worldview (Weltanschauung) and the "Positivist Circle of Leipzig". The meaning of Ratzel's law.- 6. Ratzel, Central Europe (Mitteleuropa) and "European Union".- 7. Fr. Ratzel and the Eastern Question: Flag follows trade.- 8. Final Conclusions.
About the author
Dr. Alexandros Stogiannos received his PhD in Geopolitics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA), (Faculty of Turkish & Modern Asian Studies / School of Economics and Political Sciences), where Geopolitics is taught on both an undergraduate and a postgraduate level.
He has authored multiple individual articles on the German geographer Friedrich Ratzel and his ideas, published in international journals in Germany and Greece. His research interests focus primarily on Systemic Geopolitical Analysis, as well as on the Theory and History of Geopolitics. In his published case studies he emphasises on the implementation of Machine Learning methods, such as Data Mining.
Dr. Alexandros Stogiannos is a Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Geocultural Analyses of the Greater Middle East and Turkey (Faculty of Turkish & Modern Asian Studies), and a Lecturer at the MSc degree programme Geostrategic Synthesis and Defence Studies and International Security of the same Faculty.
Aside from his academic career, Dr. Stogiannos has also established the ERASMOS Language School (Corfu) were he is still co-manager and head of the German department. He is also a former political reporter and editor.
Summary
This book discusses the influence of Friedrich Ratzel's ideas in more contemporary geopolitical analytical systems and the geodeterminism commonly attributed to him. The author thoroughly analyzes the structural components of Ratzel's thought.
The research is inspired by the numerous contradictory approaches in the secondary literature, presenting Ratzel as both humanist and racist, geo-determinist and multidimensional analyst, organicist and social scientist, precursor of Geopolitics and opponent to the same idea. In this work, more particular issues are approached: the establishment of a scientific Political Geography; the methodological approach of his multidisciplinary work; the redefinition of his geopolitical period; his notion of state and the evaluation of sociological and cultural parameters as factors of state power; the biogeographical content of the notion of Lebensraum; his attitude towards the racist theories as well as towards the Darwinian theories; his overall worldview and the confrontation with cosmopolitism; his contribution to an interdisciplinary, positivist and scientific approach in analyzing social and international affairs; his thoughts on the architecture of Europe.
The book will be useful for researchers and students in many scientific fields, such as International Relations, Geopolitics, Geography and History of Geography.
