GEOGRAPHICAL NECESSARIANISM AS A MOVEMENT IN PHILOSOPHY OF HISTORY OF XVIII.XIX CENTURIES: POSSIBILITIES AND LIMITS

Abstract

The article gives evaluation to the role of geographical necessarianism in forming philosophy of history of XVIII.XIX centuries. The author justifies the thesis according to which this movement proceeds from the assumption of involving social history into natural environment, their co-evolutional development in contrast with anthropocentric historiosophy dominated before. In the framework of geographical necessarianism the author points out the following models: climatocentric and aquacentric. It is stated that the followers of the first model proceeded from climate dominating, the second of water dominating in their impact on the society. Factors, fundamental propositions, positive sides and drawbacks of each model are pointed out. The author shows heuristical potential of these models in historiography of XVIII.XIX centuries. The author points out to ambiguous impact of climate centrism and aqua centrism on developing different conceptions in the philosophy of history of XX-XXI centuries. It is shown that geographical necessarianism acted in the role of a specific paradigm in historiography of XX century and later.]