Neopragmatic Horizontal Geographies – serie

The first book in the series provides the concept of a theoretical redefinition of 'horizontal geographies'. These denote the spatial syntheses as undertaken in various disciplines, whether as regional studies, area studies, new regional geography, and many more. The basis of the redescription is philosophical neopragmatism, which has occasionally been taken up in the spatial sciences, but has never been differentiated into a theory-driven empirical research program. This development of the research program guides the present book.Philosophical neopragmatism, especially as conceptualized by Richard Rorty, focuses in particular on contingency of society, self, and language, which also allows spatial syntheses to be understood not as 'images of reality' but as contingent proposals for redescribing spaces. As a result of the complexity of spatial processes, their horizontal geographic study requires a triangulation of theories, methods, researcher perspectives, data, and the involvement of people without expert special knowledge. To highlight the contingency of the spatial syntheses, the presentation of the results - —here especially graphic and cartographic - —resorts to the attitude of irony. Regarding the six levels of trigangulation, neopragmatism acts as a meta-theoretical orientation framework.Against the background of the complexity of spatial developments on the one hand and to operationalize Rorty's principle of private self-creation and public solidarity on the other hand, Ralf Dahrendorf's concept of life chances is drawn upon. Especially in the differentiation of this concept made in this book, it serves on the one hand for an understanding access of the (also spatial) expression of options and ligatures,, and on the other hand it offers a normative framework for the evaluation of socio-spatial developments. The reference to neopragmatic studies on spatial syntheses conducted to date and evaluated in this book shows the potential of the approach elaborated here in conceptual detail for the first time.

The first book in the series provides the concept of a theoretical redefinition of 'horizontal geographies'. These denote the spatial syntheses as undertaken in various disciplines, whether as regional studies, area studies, new regional geography, and many more. The basis of the redescription is philosophical neopragmatism, which has occasionally been taken up in the spatial sciences, but has never been differentiated into a theory-driven empirical research program. This development of the research program guides the present book.Philosophical neopragmatism, especially as conceptualized by Richard Rorty, focuses in particular on contingency of society, self, and language, which also allows spatial syntheses to be understood not as 'images of reality' but as contingent proposals for redescribing spaces. As a result of the complexity of spatial processes, their horizontal geographic study requires a triangulation of theories, methods, researcher perspectives, data, and the involvement of people without expert special knowledge. To highlight the contingency of the spatial syntheses, the presentation of the results - —here especially graphic and cartographic - —resorts to the attitude of irony. Regarding the six levels of trigangulation, neopragmatism acts as a meta-theoretical orientation framework.Against the background of the complexity of spatial developments on the one hand and to operationalize Rorty's principle of private self-creation and public solidarity on the other hand, Ralf Dahrendorf's concept of life chances is drawn upon. Especially in the differentiation of this concept made in this book, it serves on the one hand for an understanding access of the (also spatial) expression of options and ligatures,, and on the other hand it offers a normative framework for the evaluation of socio-spatial developments. The reference to neopragmatic studies on spatial syntheses conducted to date and evaluated in this book shows the potential of the approach elaborated here in conceptual detail for the first time.

Landscape appears stable and consistent. At least, this is a common perception of landscape. This view ignores the contingency of landscape, which is evident in the past and future as well as in the present and not just in relation to the physical spaces into which 'landscape' is projected but also in relation to social constructions and individual experience. The contingency of landscape becomes clear in inverse landscapes, which illustrate states and processes that are not impossible, but also not requisite. In this way, inverse landscapes form a tool for operationalizing the neopragmatist idea of expanding contingency. The concept of inverse landscape is subjected to criticism in various ways, from internal criticism to metatheoretical criticism to life-related pragmatic criticism. This critique is performed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The aim of this book is to further develop the concept, both regarding a more differentiated understanding of the contingency of landscape and also concerning the question of how it can help to solve practical problems in the context of 'landscape'.

Landscape appears stable and consistent. At least, this is a common perception of landscape. This view ignores the contingency of landscape, which is evident in the past and future as well as in the present and not just in relation to the physical spaces into which 'landscape' is projected but also in relation to social constructions and individual experience. The contingency of landscape becomes clear in inverse landscapes, which illustrate states and processes that are not impossible, but also not requisite. In this way, inverse landscapes form a tool for operationalizing the neopragmatist idea of expanding contingency. The concept of inverse landscape is subjected to criticism in various ways, from internal criticism to metatheoretical criticism to life-related pragmatic criticism. This critique is performed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The aim of this book is to further develop the concept, both regarding a more differentiated understanding of the contingency of landscape and also concerning the question of how it can help to solve practical problems in the context of 'landscape'.

Sustainable development is now considered one of the major narratives shaping society's future. At the same time, it is proving to be an area of conflict where expectations, morals, politics, and ideas of scientific evidence collide. This book shows why current discourses on sustainability are reaching their limits. But it also shows how a new, openly conceived approach to sustainable development can emerge. Based on Richard Rorty's neopragmatism and Ralf Dahrendorf's concept of life chances, Olaf Kühne, Karsten Berr, and Irina Silina develop an innovative perspective: sustainable development is not understood as a teleologically defined goal but as a contingent, dialogical process that must be constantly reshaped, in which people generate life chances. The focus is on questions such as how people create meaning, how conflicts can become productive, and how individual freedom can be linked to collective responsibility. The book combines theoretical foundations, from vocabulary analyses to various forms of criticism of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with a comprehensive redescription of sustainable development. Following the guiding principle of liberal ironist Richard Rorty, an approach is developed that understands freedom from humiliation, compassion, processes of understanding, and the expansion of the "we" as prerequisites for a resonant culture of sustainability.The book is a committed and reflective plea for sustainability research that does not cover up conflicts but takes them seriously—and thinks of the future as a shared, open possibility, giving high priority to individual life chances.

This book presents neopragmatism as a fresh theoretical framework for the social and spatial sciences. Instead of relying on fixed truths or rigid subject-object divisions, it moves beyond traditional theoretical oppositions. At its core, the book applies Richard Rorty’s vocabulary theory and a panrelationalist perspective, viewing the world as a dynamic network of relations shaped through language. This approach is enriched by insights from discourse theory, conflict theory, and actor-network theory, offering a comprehensive lens for understanding social and spatial phenomena. Concepts like landscape, region, or city are treated as contingent and contested constructions, rather than stable categories. The framework is tested through case studies on biography construction and landscape conflicts, demonstrating how it captures complexity and provides practical tools for addressing social issues.The book is intended for readers seeking both theoretical depth and practical applicability in fields such as sociology, philosophy, geography, political science, and interdisciplinary studies of society and space.