tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3317748811909502538.post9030150572364174894..comments2023-04-17T12:13:44.323+01:00Comments on Intropy: Comparing Geography is History and The Death of DistanceDaveoftheNewCityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04140446220455064332noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3317748811909502538.post-50687460585894163882009-07-20T09:58:57.013+01:002009-07-20T09:58:57.013+01:00That's neat, Hartley's observation as the ...That's neat, Hartley's observation as the mirror view.<br /><br />In see your points about the negative takes on 'geography is history', but maybe it is part of the richness of the phrase that it can motivate consideration of these issues? <br /><br />Certainly food for thought, to feed into the course.David Chapmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01959069828311977846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3317748811909502538.post-21757765568449949632009-07-18T12:07:28.724+01:002009-07-18T12:07:28.724+01:00Of course, there's also the mirror view - that...Of course, there's also the mirror view - that history is geography, as in LP Hartley's observation that 'The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there.' :-)<br /><br />Two problems for me with the phrase 'geography is history'. First is that it's a negative take on history - treating it as synonymous with 'dead and gone' or 'no longer relative' - rather than viewing history as an essential tool for making sense of what we are doing and where we are going.<br /><br />Second, the idea that different populations are at different point on an historical timeline aligns a little too neatly with the idea that there are 'primitive' and 'advanced' societies - rather than a variety of societies dealing with the 21st century in different ways.<br /><br />Sounds an interesting course that involves thinking these ideas through.Rebecca Fergusonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02267576527402238576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3317748811909502538.post-7428931344830703372009-07-18T11:35:43.356+01:002009-07-18T11:35:43.356+01:00"Geography is history" is nicer partly b..."Geography is history" is nicer partly because it's more literary. It's also more subtle.John Naughtonnoreply@blogger.com