Which of the following are NOT related to Possibilism?
(A) People depend on nature for all their needs.
(B) People are adapted to the dictates of nature.
(C) There is a situation of absolute necessity.
(D) People move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A), (B) and (C) only
Statements that describe environmental determinism, the opposite of possibilism, are the ones that do not fit.
(A) People depend on nature for all their needs. — Not related to possibilism. Direct dependence on nature for all resources is the life of primitive societies such as Benda’s. This is determinism.
(B) People are adapted to the dictates of nature. — Not related to possibilism. This is environmental determinism.
(C) There is a situation of absolute necessity. — Not related to possibilism. This is environmental determinism.
(D) People move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom. — Related to possibilism. This is the core of possibilism.
NCERT (2026-27): “Naturalisation of Humans and Humanisation of Nature … In the early stages of their interaction with their natural environment humans were greatly influenced by it. They adapted to the dictates of Nature. This is so because the level of technology was very low and the stage of human social development was also primitive. This type of interaction between primitive human society and strong forces of nature was termed as environmental determinism.” “The people begin to understand their environment and the forces of nature with the passage of time. With social and cultural development, humans develop better and more efficient technology. They move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom. They create possibilities with the resources obtained from the environment. … The earlier scholars termed this as possibilism.” “… The concept shows that neither is there a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor is there a condition of absolute freedom (possibilism).” |