In Vindication of Neoclassical Geopolitics. Rediscovering German School of Geopolitics – overcoming Postmodernism
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to exhort the Academia towards a Neoclassical Geopolitics, both in terms of theory and methodology. The relevance of the problem – the validity of Neoclassical Geopolitics – subsists in the fact that, in accordance with this paper, there is an element that helps to understand better the foreign policy of a State – that element is geography.
These will be the circumstances, in which the hypothesis will be formulated to then be tested against the empirical reality. As for the structure, the paper will start with a philosophical worldview that will provide the basic of ideas for a solid theoretical framework, in which the analysis shall be accomplished.
In terms of methodology, it will be elected “theory testing” approach, through the hypothetico-deductive model from Popper, using mixed methods. The definition of Geopolitics and also the definition of concepts in its domain; the enumeration of several ethical rules within geopolitical methodology; the description of main ideas from German School of Geopolitics and a particular attention to the Spanish geopolitician Vicens Vives; are formulated towards the effort to create a framework of a Neoclassical Geopolitics as a science.
Here one can find the innovative aspect of this study. In that task, furthermore, several geopolitical concepts will be recaptured from classical geopolitics, and treated under careful methodology.
It will follow consequences deduced from hypothesis, before to examine some aspects from Critical Geopolitics.