On gravity and geography

This paper critically examines the contested and uneven ways in which societies confront, manipulate and leverage gravity. In human geography, gravity has been conceptualised as a constant benign force. Implicit in geographical thinking, rarely has it been made explicit to the formation of complex socio-spatial relationships. Grounded in post-humanist, post-phenomenological thought, this paper develops an ontopolitical account, emphasising gravity’s profound influence on all aspects of cultural, economic and political life. Four tenets are outlined to illustrate: talking and living; flows; falling, collapsing, sinking; and orbits, escape, weaponisation. The conclusion calls for a gravitational research agenda and proposes three directions for future enquiry.