The article discusses how Alexander von Humboldt developed the concepts of nature, space, and morphology in his works and impacted the shaping of modern physical geography. Influenced by Kant's ideas in Critique of judgment and also by the writings of Goethe and Schelling, Humboldt devised a new interpretation and representation of nature on Earth's surface, wherein the concept of space is essential to explaining natural phenomena. Modern physical geography is grounded in a complex interweaving of aesthetic and instrumental influences fashioned by Humboldt, with the principle of connection playing an important role in the artistic and scientific development of the notion of a geographic landscape.
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859); Kantian philosophy; Goethe; morphology; physical geography