An investigation into the evolution of Maltese geopolitical thought: its heritage, renaissance and rejuvenation

Abstract

An increasing number of theorists are involving themselves in the historical evolution of geopolitical thought, although most are concerned only with the development of conventional western thinking' This thesis derives from the idea that it may be interesting and useful to investigate the evolution of geopolitical thought from a non- western or non-mainstream perspective. Given the current demands by the new generation of "critical" political geographers for alternative research and more viable historical perspectives on the evolution of geopolitics" ,it was intended that such an investigation would also prove to be a useful contribution to wider geopolitical knowledge and thinking. Malta was deemed to be the perfect case study from which to conduct such an investigation The thrust of the thesis can be explained in terms of three sub-aims It aims to conduct a thorough investigation into the heritage of geopolitical thought in Malta It then aims to utilize this investigation to propose a viable and thorough historical perspective on the current modes of geopolitical thinking in Malta. Third, by keeping current thinking in its historical context, it then aims instead to generate a number of insights and ideas for future geopolitical thinking in Malta. The three sub-aims introduced above are contrived to satisfy the single overriding aim of the thesis, which is; to highlight and substantiate the insights that new and alternative research into the history of geopolitical thought can bring about, not at the conventional global level of the mainstream meta-theorists but instead at the less-grandiose and more practicable levels. It is in this respect that the thesis sets out to make a new and alternative contribution to wider geopolitical knowledge and thinking.