Deconstructing the map

TLDR: In this article, the traditional rules of cartography, long rooted in a scientific epistemology of the map as an objective form of knowledge, are reviewed as an object of deconstruction.

Abstract: The paper draws on ideas in postmodern thinking to redefine the nature of maps as representations of power. The traditional rules of cartography – long rooted in a scientific epistemology of the map as an objective form of knowledge – will first be reviewed as an object of deconstruction. Second, a deconstructionist argument will explore the textuality of maps, including their metaphorical and rhetorical nature. Third, the paper will examine the dimensions both of external power and of the omnipresence of internal power in the cartographic representation of place. Cet article s'aventure dans des concepts post-modernes afin de redefinir la nature des cartes comme etant des representations du pouvoir. Longuement enracinees dans une epistemologie scientifique de la carte comme forme objective de connaissance, les regles traditionnelles de la cartographie seront d'abord revues en tant qu'objets de "deconstruction". Ensuite, les arguments d'un "deconstructioniste" exploreront la "textualite" des cartes, y comp...