Neodeterminism is also known as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Stop and go determinism
Option (1) Naturalisation of Humans — Incorrect. This describes early societies with very little technology, which lived as nature dictated and even worshipped it. That stage is environmental determinism.
Option (2) Humanisation of Nature — Incorrect. As technology improves, people use the opportunities nature offers and nature gets humanised, bearing the imprints of human effort. This is the view called possibilism.
Option (3) Stop and go determinism — Correct. Griffith Taylor called his middle path neodeterminism or ‘stop and go determinism’. Like traffic at a signal, people stop at nature’s red light and go ahead when nature permits.
Option (4) Possibilism — Incorrect. Neodeterminism is a middle path between environmental determinism and possibilism, so it cannot be possibilism itself.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2025 on 23-05-2025 (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).…” |