Dekadencja geografii i zapomniane idee Wacława Nałkowskiego

Abstract

The article is inspired by Wacław Nałkowski’s writings and is a reflection on the nature of geography and its place in the system of knowledge. Moreover, the author considers the status of geography and its social relevance. The article seeks to justify the thesis that the low prestige of geography in social consciousness is an outcome of the attitudes of scholars and teachers of geography themselves, the media propaganda and also the state policy. The main objective of the paper is to verify these theses. The first part of the paper is devoted to the status of geography as a science. The author argues that contemporary perception of the essence of geography, understood as a loose compilation of physical and human disciplines, is quite different than the unified, holistic and humanistic concept of Nałkowski. The problems of geographical education are also emphasized, since the misunderstanding of geography as a science is being transferred into the sphere of education, influencing the school curricula and handbooks. In conclusion, the author proves that for the improvement in the area of geography’s social relevance, the restoration of the forgotten ideas of Wacław Nałkowski is essential.