The Metamodern Shift in Geographical Thought

thought, reflecting on the context of the current Anthropocene polycrisis,
which encompasses a range of environmental, geopolitical, economic, and
socio-cultural challenges of the present era. We start from the assumption that
postmodern epistemological and methodological frameworks are insufficient
for a comprehensive understanding and resolution of these challenges. In this
context, we explore the potential of metamodernism as a new philosophical and
scientific platform that oscillates between modernist rationalism and postmodern
skepticism, allowing for the productive integration of these frameworks.
The primary objective of this study is to demonstrate how metamodernism
can contribute to the reinterpretation of geographical thought and to identify
its potential as the fifth first-order discontinuity in the historical development
of this discipline. In the theoretical and methodological section, we discuss
discontinuities in scientific thought and apply the Latour-Barnes model to
analyze the phases of mobilization and autonomization of metamodernism
within academic discourse. We introduce key metamodernist concepts and
principles - metarealism, zetetism, hylosemiotics, sublation, oscillation of
scientific discourses, the paradoxical position of truth and grand narratives, dia/
polylogical thinking, and the coexistence of layers of cultural evolution (Pipere,
Mārtinsone, 2023, Storm, 2021), — and outline their applicability in geographical
research. We employ qualitative, discourse-based, and historical-contextual
methods to examine the metamodern shift in geographical thought, focusing on
epistemological, ontological, and methodological transformations.
We reinterpret geography as a post-disciplinary and post-paradigmatic scientific
discipline that oscillates between various ontological, epistemological, and
methodological frameworks. In this context, we emphasize the necessity for
an open, reflective, and pluralistic approach that facilitates the integration of
diverse types of knowledge and methodological strategies. Understood through
the lens of metamodernism, geography becomes a field of dynamic oscillation
between the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and technological
interpretations of reality. This conceptualization of geography addresses the need
for comprehensive, practice-oriented knowledge that can tackle contemporary
global challenges, such as polycrisis. This aligns with zetetic epistemology, which
prioritizes abductive reasoning (inference to the best explanation) over rigid
deductive or inductive models. We introduce hylosemiotics as a methodological
tool that enables researchers to analyze material-symbolic interactions in space
and place. This approach integrates semiotic analysis with material studies,
providing a novel framework for interpreting geographical landscapes.
In doing so, we aim to encourage discussions about applying metamodernist
concepts in geographical thought while also acknowledging its limitations and
potential risks. Moreover, we underscore the necessity for further theoretical and
empirical reflection to refine methodological strategies and practical applications
of the metamodernist framework in geographical research.