Peter Meusburger – författare

"Clashes of Knowledge" is the first volume in a book series called "Knowledge and Space" dealing with spatial disparities of knowledge and the impact of the spatial context on the production and application of knowledge. The contributions in this book explore the conflicts between various types of knowledge, especially between orthodox and heterodox knowledge systems, which range from religious fundamentalism to heresies within the scientific community itself. Does the traditional distinction between "belief" and "knowledge" still make sense? How is the difference between knowledge and belief understood in different cultural contexts? How have the religious-based knowledge systems been displaced in their hegemonic role by "scientific" knowledge? In which ways do the agents of hegemonic, orthodox knowledge interact with the representatives of deviating, heterodox knowledge? These and many other questions are addressed by scholars of geography, history of science, philosophy, psychology, religious studies, sociology, theology, etc. A number of articles describe how scientists attempt to systematically exclude implausible knowledge claims from their disciplines and how the boundaries of science are subject to historical change and to spatial and cultural contexts.

Knowledge systems can also clash at the level of the individual. Why do people often ignore information that contradicts their personal "knowledge"? Under what conditions are people prepared to give up firm beliefs and integrate new information that contradicts their prior knowledge? This book thus addresses many fields in the academy but also learned individuals who are interested in the often puzzling spatial and cultural disparities of knowledge and clashes of knowledge.

Milieus of Creativity is the second volume in the book series Knowledge and Space. This book deals with spatial disparities of knowledge and the impact of environments, space and contexts on the production and application of knowledge. The contributions in this volume focus on the role of places, environments, and spatial contexts for the emergence and perpetuation of creativity. Is environment a social or a spatial phenomenon? Are only social factors relevant for the development of creativity or should one also include material artefacts and resources in its definition? How can we explain spatial disparities of creativity without falling victim to geodeterminism?

This book offers insights from various disciplines such as environmental psychology, philosophy, and social geography. It presents the results of a research conference at Heidelberg University in September 2006, which was supported by the Klaus Tschira Foundation.

Der vorliegende Band reflektiert das Thema "Bildung und Wissensgesellschaft", das durch die PISA-Studie, die Diskussion über die Zukunft unseres rohstoffarmen Landes und die nicht zuletzt kulturell konfigurierten weltpolitischen Spannungen Aktualität und Bedeutung erlangte, auf eine umfassende und interdisziplinäre Weise.

Leitfragen sind dabei: Was heißt "Bildung"? Wodurch wurde unser Begriff von Bildung geprägt? Was sind die unentbehrlichen Komponenten unserer Vorstellung von Bildung? Welche Modifikationen des überkommenen Bildungsbegriffs sind nötig? Welche praktischen Maßnahmen zur Sicherung wie zur Modifikation unserer Bildung sind angezeigt?

Was bedeutet demgegenüber der in jüngster Zeit zu beobachtende Aufstieg des Begriffs "Wissensgesellschaft"? Sind wir tatsächlich in eine neue, wissensdominierte Epoche gesellschaftlicher Selbstorganisation eingetreten? Reproduzieren sich Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft heute anders als früher? Welche speziellen Arten von Wissen und Wissensvermittlung werden dafür gebraucht? Wie verhält sich dieses "Wissen" zur "Bildung"?

This collection of essays aims to further the understanding of historical and contemporary geographies of science. It offers a fresh perspective on comparative approaches to scientific knowledge and practice as pursued by geographers, sociologists, anthropologists, and historians of science. The authors explore the formation and changing geographies of scientific centers from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries and critically discuss the designing of knowledge spaces in early museums, in modern laboratories, at world fairs, and in the periphery of contemporary science. They also analyze the interactions between science and the public in Victorian Britain, interwar Germany, and recent environmental policy debates. The book provides a genuine geographical perspective on the production and dissemination of knowledge and will thus be an important point of reference for those interested in the spatial relations of science and associated fields.

The Klaus Tschira Foundation supports diverse symposia, the essence of which is published in this Springer series (www.kts.villa-bosch.de).