The human-environment relationship explained by Griffith Taylor is known as ______.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Neo-determinism
Griffith Taylor gave a middle path between environmental determinism and possibilism. He called it neo-determinism or ‘stop and go determinism’. Like traffic lights, nature gives red signals, and people can move ahead with development only when nature permits.
Option (1) Environment determinism — Incorrect. In this idea, nature controls people. Early humans with very low technology followed the dictates of nature.
Option (2) Neo-determinism — Correct. This is the concept Griffith Taylor gave. Humans can conquer nature by obeying it.
Option (3) Possibilism — Incorrect. In this idea, people with better technology create many possibilities and shape the environment with great freedom.
Option (4) Humanism — Incorrect. The humanistic (welfare) school deals with the social well-being of people, such as housing, health and education.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 20-06-2023 (Slot 1) and 12-06-2023 (Slot 2), and in CUET (UG) 2022 on 16-07-2022 (Slot 1).
NCERT (2026-27): “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.” |