Who emphasized on the middle path as an integral part in developing a concept called Neo-determinism?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Taylor
The geographer Griffith Taylor introduced a concept that takes a middle path (Madhyam Marg) between environmental determinism and possibilism. He called it neo-determinism, or stop and go determinism, and explained it with traffic lights: humans move ahead when nature permits and stop at its red signals.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2026 on 24-05-2026 (Slot 1), and in CUET (UG) 2025 on 21-05-2025 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2025-26): “Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature … A geographer, Griffith Taylor introduced another concept which reflects a middle path (Madhyam Marg) between the two ideas of environmental determinism and possibilism. He termed it as Neodeterminism or stop and go determinism. Those of you who live in cities and those who have visited a city, might have seen that traffic is regulated by lights on the cross-roads. Red light means ‘stop’, amber light provides a gap between red and green lights ‘to get set’ and green light means ‘go’. The concept shows that neither is there a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor is there a condition of absolute freedom (possibilism).…” |