Neopragmatism, Inverse Landscape, (Carto)Graphic Representation: From Critique to Further Development

Landscape appears stable and consistent. At least, this is a common perception of landscape. This view ignores the contingency of landscape, which is evident in the past and future as well as in the present and not just in relation to the physical spaces into which ’landscape’ is projected but also in relation to social constructions and individual experience. The contingency of landscape becomes clear in inverse landscapes, which illustrate states and processes that are not impossible, but also not requisite. In this way, inverse landscapes form a tool for operationalizing the neopragmatist idea of expanding contingency. The concept of inverse landscape is subjected to criticism in various ways, from internal criticism to metatheoretical criticism to life-related pragmatic criticism. This critique is performed from an interdisciplinary perspective. The aim of this book is to further develop the concept, both regarding a more differentiated understanding of the contingency of landscape and also concerning the question of how it can help to solve practical problems in the context of ’landscape’.

Olaf Kühne is a university professor at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. In his research, Olaf Kühne deals theoretically with neopragmatism, social constructivism and conflict theory. Thematically, his research focuses on landscape and spatial conflicts, regional geography, cartography and urban development. His spatial focus is on East-Central Europe, Germany, Italy and the United States of America, in particular the South and West. Karsten Berr works at the Chair of Urban and Regional Development at the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Germany. His research interests include landscape theory, landscape architecture theory, architectural theory; architectural and planning ethics and landscape conflicts; inter- and transdisciplinary architecture and landscape research; philosophy of art and aesthetics, nature and landscape aesthetics; cultural theory, anthropology. Dennis Edler is a geographer and academic specializing in Cartography and Geographic Information Science and Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Geosciences, Ruhr University Bochum (RUB), Germany. He has held various academic roles, starting as a student and research assistant, then becoming a lecturer and research associate at RUB. His Ph.D. focused on cognitive representations in topographic maps, followed by a Habilitation on the experimental evaluation of modern cartographic media.Petra Lohmann is Professor of Architectural Theory and Philosophy at the Department of Architecture at the University of Siegen, Germany. Together with Prof. Dr. Mildred Galld-Szymkowiak, she founded the ＂International Society for Architecture and Philosophy＂. She has been 2nd Managing Director of the Fichte Research Institute at the University of Wuppertal, Germany. She is President of the International Johann Gottlieb Fichte Society. Her research focuses on classical German philosophy, theories of feeling, architectural theory and philosophy of the 19th/20th century and philosophy of landscape. Kai Schuster, Dr.-Ing. Dr. phil., psychologist and architectural theorist, is Professor of Sociology and Social Psychology with a focus on architectural psychology at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. Together with Prof. Marc Kirschbaum, he is the founder of pragmatopia architektur.stadt.leben in Kassel (pragmatopia.de). He also works as an expert and member of specialist committees. In 2017, Kai Schuster (together with Dipl.-Ing. Michael Müller) was awarded the ＂Hessian University Prize for Excellence in Teaching＂ by the state of Hesse for the seminar ＂Architecture - Barriers - Disability＂