| dc.description.abstract | Trying to analyze and assess particular scientific, educational and philosophical concepts of
Wacław Nałkowski, one should not lose sight of what is his greatest achievement, what was
his main concern and care throughout all his scientific career. It is the idea of geography
as an autonomous and coherent science, covering the whole of reality that is perceived and
experienced in the course of the everyday life. Among the contemporary Polish geographical
circles there are very limited number of scholars who are inclined to understand and accept
this fairly simple idea. It was demonstrated thanks to the current debate conducted in the pages
of Polish scientific journals, and especially the polemics between Jerzy Bański and Zbigniew
Rykiel. Understanding of some key notions by particular disputants showed to be so different,
that it prevents effective agreement. In spite of that, they both seem to suggest that the idea
of the unity of geography is harmful and should be abandoned. Like the most of geographers,
they see no need for the unity of geography, or set their hope for its reintegration on unifying
of human and physical geographies. The article presents the arguments in the light of which
such position must be recognized incorrect mainly due to the fact, that the disputants utilize
the elements of colloquial speech instead of the exact philosophical meaning of such terms
like the unity and identity (with reference to geography of course). Therefore, the conclusion
tells that the idea of disintegration geography synonymous with its liquidation is definitely
premature in the face of the great potential contained in the classical geographical concepts,
represented also by Wacław Nałkowski. | en |
