The ‘Environmental Determinism’ developed when-
A. The level of technology was very low.
B. The stage of human social development was also primitive.
C. Humans adapted to the dictates of nature.
D. Nature provided opportunities, and humans made use of them and slowly nature was humanised
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B and C only
A. The level of technology was very low. Correct. In the early stages of their interaction with nature, humans had very little technology. Without tools to change their surroundings, they could only live as the land and climate allowed, so nature set the terms of their life.
B. The stage of human social development was also primitive. Correct. A primitive society had no organised ways of its own to cope with floods, cold or drought. Low technology and a primitive stage of social development together left humans under the control of nature, which is the condition from which determinism grew.
C. Humans adapted to the dictates of nature. Correct. Such humans listened to nature, feared its fury and worshipped it. This interaction between primitive society and strong forces of nature was termed environmental determinism.
D. Nature provided opportunities, and humans made use of them and slowly nature was humanised Incorrect. This is the later stage, possibilism, when better technology let people use what nature offers.
NCERT (2025-26): “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. At that stage of very low technological development we can imagine the presence of a naturalised human, who listened to Nature, was afraid of its fury and worshipped it.” |