Conceptual Spaces: The Geometry of Thought
Conceptual Spaces: The Geometry of Thought
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Current conceptualisations of space in the social sciences are detached from an absolute representation of space. Instead, space is seen as a relationship between subjects or actors. At the same time, the development of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) targeted the development of three-four-dimensional models in a realistic, absolute and relative mode of representation in which one single space is handled. Satellite images, on the other hand, are open to different interpretations because they can be perceived as pictures as well as spatial data in a GIS, and what can be read from these images is an open question. This article reviews current discussion on space and especially the way in which space is considered in GIS. It is proposed that, instead of perceiving one single space at a time, the social scientists' view of dealing with a social-relational space consisting of multiple actors or spaces can improve the usefulness of satellite images in the social sciences. A result of this study is that there is not necessarily a conflict between the physical and the social sciences in the use of satellite images; it is merely a question of epistemology. The proposed shift in the epistemological viewpoint means that satellite images used as primary sources in the social sciences make it possible to handle all kinds of questions that have a direct or indirect relationship to the environment and society.