Empiricism and Geographical Thought

The age of Francis Bacon marked the beginning of a long period when empirical science was seen as the key to progress in extending man''s control over nature. Recently however a breakdown of confidence in the outcome of worldwide industrialism and a growing concern over threats to the earth''s ecosystems have brought mounting criticism of specialized exploitative science. Demands for conservation and social responsibility are leading to a reappraisal of the whole philosophy of science that has been dominant for three centuries and many observers see this as a new scientific revolution comparable in significance with that of the seventeenth century.