Nature provides opportunities and human beings make use of these, and slowly nature gets humanised and starts bearing the imprints of human endeavour. What is described in these lines?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Possibilism
As people develop better technology, they move from a state of necessity to a state of freedom. They create possibilities with the resources of the environment, and their activities leave imprints everywhere. This idea is possibilism.
Option (1) Possibilism — Correct. The lines describe nature giving opportunities and humans using them, so that nature gets humanised and bears the imprints of human endeavour. The earlier scholars termed this possibilism.
Option (2) Determinism — Incorrect. In environmental determinism, primitive people with very low technology adapted to the dictates of nature. Nature controls humans, which is the opposite of these lines.
Option (3) Neo-determinism — Incorrect. Griffith Taylor’s middle path between determinism and possibilism. Humans can conquer nature by obeying it, and move ahead only when nature permits.
Option (4) Naturalization of humans — Incorrect. A naturalised human listens to nature, is afraid of its fury and worships it. This belongs to the stage of environmental determinism, not to the lines given.
Note: A similar question was also asked in CUET (UG) 2023 on 23-06-2023 (Slot 3) and 10-06-2023 (Slot 2).
NCERT (2026-27): “The people begin to understand their environment and the forces of nature with the passage of time. … The earlier scholars termed this as possibilism. Nature provides opportunities and human being make use of these and slowly nature gets humanised and starts bearing the imprints of human endeavour.” |