Withers, Charles W. J. “Geography in
Its Time: Geography and Historical Geography in Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopédie.” Journal of Historical Geography, vol. 19, no. 3, July 1993, pp. 255-64. ScienceDirect, doi:10.1006/jhge.1993.1016.
Withers opens his article on the geography of and in the Encyclopédie with a statement as to why his research is necessary: “geography” has held different connotations throughout time and to understand historical geography it is essential to study these meanings as well as how and why they changed (“contextual interrogation”). Withers focuses on the eighteenth century and the interpretations of geography and historical geography, centering on the articles “Géographie” (Geography) and “Géographie historique” (Historical Geography), and briefly touching on the “geography” of the work as a whole as expressed through d’Alembert’s metaphors of the mappemonde and the arguably more important tree of knowledge. He moves through the selected articles, quickly pulling out the main themes (sub-categories of “geography”), comparing each to its place on the tree. Withers also gives the names of the geographical contributors, alongside short biographies for two: Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville and Didier Robert de Vaugondy. He then concludes by determining the philosophe’s definition of historical geography by travelling through the past interpretations of the term and how it related to past trees of knowledge.
Basic Information
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Language: English
Decade: 1990s
Main Classification: Geography, Classification
Related Sources
*In Progress*
Notes
1. Most quotes are in English, or a translation is provided.
2. Article contains figures of tree of knowledge examples.
Updates
1/13/2021: Created page.