过去三十年中,地理学界不断地从科学哲学和方法论中寻求能够指导其研究的概念。在这个过程中人们的学术观点和立场也在时常变化。本文试图通过对过去各种理论的回顾,理一理这个发展过程的来龙去脉,并以此解释实在论(realism)新思朝出现的原由。在数量革命以前的传统区域地理学有两个基本点:一是它摒弃理论性和概念性的分析:二是它把地理现象看作是独特的、互不可比的、因而无法通过一般性原理加以解释的东西。也就是说,它认为对地理学现象的研究是非理论性的、独特的。现在看来,这一阶段的学术研究好似一潭死水,人们极其忽视当时已经使其他学科活跃起来的方法论和哲学问题。学科中的长辈沉湎于地理学“技艺”之中,而始终逃避理论和定义的问题。然而,在另一方面教授们却又极力想让大家相信他们手中掌握着放之四海而皆准的理论。其结果,人们对这种只重特殊性的研究的印象越来越坏。 Over the past three decades, the geography community has continually sought concepts that can guide its research from philosophy of science and methodology. In this process, people’s academic perspectives and positions also change from time to time. This article attempts to justify the whole course of the development process through the review of various theories in the past and explain the reasons for the emergence of the new thought of realism. The traditional regional geography before the quantitative revolution had two basic points: First, it abandoned the theoretical and conceptual analysis. Second, it considered geographical phenomena as unique and incomparable, and therefore could not be solved by the general principle Things to explain. In other words, it believes that the study of the phenomenon of geography is non-theoretical and unique. It now appears that the academic study at this stage is a seemingly stagnant stream of water and the methodological and philosophical problems that have brought the other disciplines up to the present time largely ignored. The elders in the discipline indulge in the “artistry” of geography, and always evade the problems of theory and definition. However, on the other hand, professors strongly try to convince others that they have a well-conceived theory in their hands. As a result, people are getting worse and worse about this unique research.