Minerva’s dissertations on Neptune: interpreting the writings of the intellectuals of natural and social studies about maritime and ocean affairs in contemporary Taiwan

This paper demonstrates the following main argument. How people intend, or urge others, to use the ocean can shape how they represent the ocean in their writings and, in turn, can influence their social constructions of the ocean. The social constructions of the ocean embedded in the written works of the intellectuals of natural and social studies in contemporary Taiwan, after 1996, are interpreted herein. Marine engineers who seek to prevent the erosion of the lands by the seas construct the ocean as does the Indian Ocean Model; whereas marine biologists, ecologists, and engineers who intend to extract and accumulate knowledge about the ocean construct the ocean as does the Micronesia Model. Additionally, legal, political, and economic specialists who advocate the attainment of legally just marine territorial demarcations and sustainable development of marine resources have similar constructions of the ocean. Furthermore, managerial scholars who aim to maximise the profits of maritime shipping construct the ocean in the Mediterranean-Freitian fashion, while political scientists who concentrate on sea power construct the ocean in the original Mediterranean Sea Model. Finally, economists who urge the state and fishing industry to follow the international regimes of fishery construct the ocean in the Mediterranean-Grotian way.