Humanism

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Humanism is an umbrella for an approach that we can find in social sciences and philosophy. According to F.C.S. Schiller, humanist thought "is really in itself the simplest of philosophic view points: it is merely the perception that the philosophic problem concerns human beings striving to comprehend a world of human experience by the resources of human minds"(Cloke et al., 1991, p.59). You could say that humanist thought argues that we take seriously that the world around us consists of the sum of human experiences and the only way we can access this world is through the human mind (Cloke et al., 1991, p.59). To make sense of the world around us we can't circumvent the human mind. It is only through our minds that we can perceive and are able to know the world.  
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As [[positivism]] was one traditional way of what is agreed upond the knowledge of science, Humanism is the other traditional view.  
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For Humanism the working of the mind and experiences that people have are the data of their inquiry. So Humnaists stress to "leave in the whole luxuriance of individual minds and on paying attention to the psychological wealth of every human mind and [to] the complexities of its interests, emotions, volitions, aspirations'" (Cloke et al., 1991, p. 59).
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Humanism is a tradition of thought (Cloke et al, 1999, p. 59) which forms the basis to humanistic geography. Only through long-lasting and complicated, multidimensional debate humanistic ideas could enter geography (ibid., p. 58), which especially took place during the 60s and 70s of last century. This paragraph is designed to understand the humanistic tradition, giving background information also to the concept of Humanistic Geography (see also Humanistic Geography).  
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Humanist tradition is often traced back to the intellectual shift in Europe during “Renaissance” (ibid., p. 61): The shift was about replacing the medieval belief with God as a center of cosmic order by a world-view in which belief in schooling, cultural achievement and sciences gave a more central place to human beings and their intellectual capabilities (ibid.). This led to the invention of the notion of the “human subject” as something active and basic to human action and thought (ibid., p. 61). [[Renaissance humanism]] was founded by Petrarca and placed man in the centre of human action. According to his stream of thought humans should be able to explore their freedom.
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The human being, which is really complex, has a centred position in the humanistic approach. And besides the philosophical side of this approach, Humanism also has a practical side. According to Schiller, the resources of the human mind should also be mobilised to impove peoples lives and "making the world a better place for people to live in"(Cloke et al., 1991, p.60). For Schiller the practical use of the intellectual debate was a very important issue. And this is where humanistic geography can play an important part. One of the methods to reach this goal is to mobilise the research of human minds and to ”understanding ourselves, others and the world we share” (Cosgrove, 1989).
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Early positivist science or spatial science was based on statistical values, where human subjects react to their environment more or less in the same way using reason. While spatial science had little regard for individuals, who were nothing more then dots and lines on a chart. Behavioural geography is seen as a bridge between spatial science and humanistic geography. From peopleless landscapes to peopled landscapes. Where human thought, preference and purposefull action are taken into account. So the humanist epistemology sees that studying the human world is very different from studying the physical, biological or material world. In the humanism point of view there is a focus on the human and the symbolic (Macionis & Plummer, 2008).
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In the seventies humanistic geography becomes bigger and bigger. It first developed as a critique of the positivistic approach, which is characterized by scientific  quantitative theories, models and methods (Aitiken & Valentine, 2009). In Humanism, the human gets a centred role and the human knowledge and skills are growing. Before this development the humanistic geography was a science that was very traditional. Although the gap between Humanism and science isn’t that big. In both the relation with place, plays an important role at the time.
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Humanist thought is thus based on the belief that the world and knowledge about it are “nothing but the sum of human experience” (ibid., p. 58). This is linked to the assumption that one can only know “by the resources of mind” (ibid.). In that sense all sources (written or oral) or knowledge are products of humans who can be regarded as “´medium` […][to] comprehension of […] reality […] at all” (ibid.). However, this implicates that human beings are limitations and a barrier to their external reality as well (ibid.) – thus knowledge is dependent of human capabilities to understand the world. Experience and process in mind are therefore central to humanist inquiry (ibid., p. 59). Humanity of the investigator is seen as the starting point of knowing, but also subject to research – as attribute of human beings- at the same time (ibid.). A practical dimension of those ideas is the aim of the approach to contribute to mobilization of “resources of the human mind” (ibid.) in order to “making the world a better place for people to live in” (ibid.) by ”understanding ourselves, others and the world we share” (Cosgrove, 1989).
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The approach can be considered to be characterised by four subjects: Human awareness, human agency, human consciousness and human creativity.
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There is some critique about the humanistic approach in geography. Some people think humanism is fictional, Eurocentric, racist and focused on man instead of woman (Aitiken & Valentine, 2009).
 
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'''Critique on the humanistic approach'''
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'''References:'''
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There is some critique about the humanistic approach in geography.
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Aitken S, Valentine G, 2009, Approaches to Human Geography. SAGE: California, London, New Delhi, Singapore
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Latour (1993) claims that there are phenomena which can not explained by the humanistic approach. For instance global warming, genetic engineering and deforestation cannot be understood properly within the confines of humanist orientations. He claims that this approach is hopelessly assymetrical and one-sided in giving value, importance and causal power exclusively. Latour claims that the humanistic approach ignores the importance of networks and relations (Aitken & Valentine, 2006, p. 34).
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Spatial Action, Huib Ernste, 2010
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The humanist movement has been attacked by different approaches as being fiction, a construction used by those representing false universal claims about humanity. These universal claims about human condition were for example stained by privileged cultural elites and other differentiating qualities (Aitken & Valentine, 2006, p. 35). For instance some people think humanism is fictional, Eurocentric, racist and focused on man instead of woman (Aitiken & Valentine, 2009).
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Cloke P, Philo C, Sadler D 1999, Approaching Human Geography,
 
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Published by Robbert Vossers (4080939)
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== References ==
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* Cloke, P., Philo, C., Sadler, D. (1999). Approaching Human Geography. Paul Chapman: London, 57-92.
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Cloke P., Philo C., Sadler D., 1991, 'Peopling' Human Geography and the development of humanistic approaches, Paul Chapman, London
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* Aitken, S. & Valentine, G. (2009). Approaches to Human Geography. SAGE: California, London, New Delhi, Singapore
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Edited by Fenki Evers and Anton de Hoogh 08-09-2011
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* Spatial Action, Huib Ernste, 2010
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Links added by Pauline van Heugten
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* Cloke P, Philo C, Sadler D 1999, Approaching Human Geography,
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* Macionis, J. & Plummer, K. (2008). Sociology. A global introduction. 4th edition, Pearson Education LTD.
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== Contributors ==
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* ''Page created by Robbert Vossers (4080939) - ... ''
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* ''Page edited by Fenki Evers and Anton de Hoogh - September 8th 2011''
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* ''Page edited by Thadeus Bergé - November 12th 2011''
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* ''Links added by Pauline van Heugten - ...''
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* ''Page edited by Janna Völpel s3015041 - 13:05, (in October actually) May 8th 2012 (CEST)''
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* ''Page edited by Bert Hegger - September 6th 2012''
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* ''Page edited by Lotte den Boogert - September 9th 2012''
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* ''Page edited by Dennis Prince - September 16th 2012''
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* ''Page slightly enhanced by Iris van der Wal - 10:40, October 23rd 2012''
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* ''Page slightly enhanced by Michiel van Rijn, oct 23rd 2012
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* ''Page slightly enhanced by Paul van den Hogen --[[PaulHogen|PaulHogen]]''--[[User:PaulHogen|PaulHogen]] 13:31, 26 October 2012 (CEST)
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[[Category: Humanism]]

Latest revision as of 11:31, 26 October 2012

As positivism was one traditional way of what is agreed upond the knowledge of science, Humanism is the other traditional view.

Humanism is a tradition of thought (Cloke et al, 1999, p. 59) which forms the basis to humanistic geography. Only through long-lasting and complicated, multidimensional debate humanistic ideas could enter geography (ibid., p. 58), which especially took place during the 60s and 70s of last century. This paragraph is designed to understand the humanistic tradition, giving background information also to the concept of Humanistic Geography (see also Humanistic Geography).

Humanist tradition is often traced back to the intellectual shift in Europe during “Renaissance” (ibid., p. 61): The shift was about replacing the medieval belief with God as a center of cosmic order by a world-view in which belief in schooling, cultural achievement and sciences gave a more central place to human beings and their intellectual capabilities (ibid.). This led to the invention of the notion of the “human subject” as something active and basic to human action and thought (ibid., p. 61). Renaissance humanism was founded by Petrarca and placed man in the centre of human action. According to his stream of thought humans should be able to explore their freedom.

Early positivist science or spatial science was based on statistical values, where human subjects react to their environment more or less in the same way using reason. While spatial science had little regard for individuals, who were nothing more then dots and lines on a chart. Behavioural geography is seen as a bridge between spatial science and humanistic geography. From peopleless landscapes to peopled landscapes. Where human thought, preference and purposefull action are taken into account. So the humanist epistemology sees that studying the human world is very different from studying the physical, biological or material world. In the humanism point of view there is a focus on the human and the symbolic (Macionis & Plummer, 2008).

Humanist thought is thus based on the belief that the world and knowledge about it are “nothing but the sum of human experience” (ibid., p. 58). This is linked to the assumption that one can only know “by the resources of mind” (ibid.). In that sense all sources (written or oral) or knowledge are products of humans who can be regarded as “´medium` […][to] comprehension of […] reality […] at all” (ibid.). However, this implicates that human beings are limitations and a barrier to their external reality as well (ibid.) – thus knowledge is dependent of human capabilities to understand the world. Experience and process in mind are therefore central to humanist inquiry (ibid., p. 59). Humanity of the investigator is seen as the starting point of knowing, but also subject to research – as attribute of human beings- at the same time (ibid.). A practical dimension of those ideas is the aim of the approach to contribute to mobilization of “resources of the human mind” (ibid.) in order to “making the world a better place for people to live in” (ibid.) by ”understanding ourselves, others and the world we share” (Cosgrove, 1989).

The approach can be considered to be characterised by four subjects: Human awareness, human agency, human consciousness and human creativity.


Critique on the humanistic approach

There is some critique about the humanistic approach in geography.

Latour (1993) claims that there are phenomena which can not explained by the humanistic approach. For instance global warming, genetic engineering and deforestation cannot be understood properly within the confines of humanist orientations. He claims that this approach is hopelessly assymetrical and one-sided in giving value, importance and causal power exclusively. Latour claims that the humanistic approach ignores the importance of networks and relations (Aitken & Valentine, 2006, p. 34).

The humanist movement has been attacked by different approaches as being fiction, a construction used by those representing false universal claims about humanity. These universal claims about human condition were for example stained by privileged cultural elites and other differentiating qualities (Aitken & Valentine, 2006, p. 35). For instance some people think humanism is fictional, Eurocentric, racist and focused on man instead of woman (Aitiken & Valentine, 2009).


References

  • Cloke, P., Philo, C., Sadler, D. (1999). Approaching Human Geography. Paul Chapman: London, 57-92.
  • Aitken, S. & Valentine, G. (2009). Approaches to Human Geography. SAGE: California, London, New Delhi, Singapore
  • Spatial Action, Huib Ernste, 2010
  • Cloke P, Philo C, Sadler D 1999, Approaching Human Geography,
  • Macionis, J. & Plummer, K. (2008). Sociology. A global introduction. 4th edition, Pearson Education LTD.


Contributors

  • Page created by Robbert Vossers (4080939) - ...
  • Page edited by Fenki Evers and Anton de Hoogh - September 8th 2011
  • Page edited by Thadeus Bergé - November 12th 2011
  • Links added by Pauline van Heugten - ...
  • Page edited by Janna Völpel s3015041 - 13:05, (in October actually) May 8th 2012 (CEST)
  • Page edited by Bert Hegger - September 6th 2012
  • Page edited by Lotte den Boogert - September 9th 2012
  • Page edited by Dennis Prince - September 16th 2012
  • Page slightly enhanced by Iris van der Wal - 10:40, October 23rd 2012
  • Page slightly enhanced by Michiel van Rijn, oct 23rd 2012
  • Page slightly enhanced by Paul van den Hogen --PaulHogen--PaulHogen 13:31, 26 October 2012 (CEST)
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