IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/envira/v26y1994i7p1021-1040.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Probable Writing: Derrida, Deconstruction, and the Quantitative Revolution in Human Geography

Author

Listed:
  • T J Barnes

    (Department of Geography, 1984 West Mall, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z2)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to use the work of Derrida in order to deconstruct the justifications and techniques associated with the quantitative revolution in human geography during the 1960s. The paper is divided into four main parts. First, the idea of deconstruction as proposed by Derrida is summarized. Second, the five justifications that have been proposed for the use of mathematics by early quantitative geographers are given—universality, logicalness, objectivity, simplicity, and precision. Those justifications, it is argued, act in Derrida's terms as ‘presences’ on which the logocentric system of mathematics is founded. Third, those five justifications are then deconstructed. It is argued that each justification is beset by a contradiction that, in turn, mitigates the realization of the final logocentric system of mathematics. Fourth, by way of a case study, one particular type of mathematics is examined, inferential statistics. It is suggested that inferential statistics is based not upon some final presence, but on a metaphor taken from eugenics. That metaphor, however, clashed with several existing ones within traditional geography with the result that it ultimately failed, a fact subsequently recognized even by the geographical proponents of quantitative methods.

Suggested Citation

  • T J Barnes, 1994. "Probable Writing: Derrida, Deconstruction, and the Quantitative Revolution in Human Geography," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 26(7), pages 1021-1040, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:26:y:1994:i:7:p:1021-1040
    DOI: 10.1068/a261021
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1068/a261021
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1068/a261021?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ken Dennis, 1982. "Economic Theory and the Problem of Translation," Journal of Economic Issues, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(3), pages 691-712, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2010. "Axiomatic Basics of e-Economics," MPRA Paper 24331, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2012. "The common error of common sense: an essential rectification of the accounting approach," MPRA Paper 43196, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2012. "The rhetoric of failure: a hyper-dialog about method in economics and how to get things going," MPRA Paper 43276, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2011. "Properties of an economy without human beings," MPRA Paper 31497, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Dorian Jullien, 2013. "Asian Disease-type of Framing of Outcomes as an Historical Curiosity," GREDEG Working Papers 2013-47, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    6. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2011. "Qualitative and temporal aggregation," MPRA Paper 33345, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2012. "Why Post Keynesianism is not yet a science," MPRA Paper 43171, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Kakarot-Handtke, Egmont, 2013. "Confused confusers. How to stop thinking like an economist and start thinking like a scientist," MPRA Paper 44046, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:envira:v:26:y:1994:i:7:p:1021-1040. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.