Abstract
At the beginning I raised the question whether system theoretical thinking is a challenge for geomorphology. Unambiguously, this question has to be answered in the affirmative. This is not only due to the fact that per se a system theoretical foundation of a science is a challenge: After all, modern system theories force scientists to think in loops, as simple causalities are questioned per definition. The specific challenge for geomorphology, however, goes further than this. It is rooted in the epistemological imperative of empiricism that strongly (and nearly utterly) determines geomorphological research. This results in a marginalisation of geomorphological theoretical work and research. This dissertation thesis represents an explicit alternative draft to this research practice. It stresses that theoretical research offers a considerable surplus value. Just as the Austrian composer Anton Bruckner (1824–1896) said: (S)He who wants to build high towers has to give special attention to the foundation. Now, what about this foundation within geomorphology?
No-one goes further than (s)he who does not know where (s)he is going.
Goethe, translation by KvE
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von Elverfeldt, K. (2012). Meeting the Challenge … An Approach to a Geomorphological System Theory. In: System Theory in Geomorphology. Springer Theses. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2822-6_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2822-6_11
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