What Is The Difference Between Environmental Determinism And Possibilism

In brief at the very largest scale we can be determinists where as at the more local scales we can see the virtue of possibilism or cultural and social determinism.

What is the difference between environmental determinism and possibilism. Environmental possibilism is a philosophy seen in contrast to environmental determinism that declares that although environmental conditions do have an influence on human and cultural development. Possibilism addresses how people use resources to create their own environment and mitigate its effects. The difference between determinism and possibilism has to do with how one starts analysis of societies in different environmental areas. Read the following article about the fifa world cup 2022.

Environmental conditions may limit some human actions but people have the ability to adjust their environment. Environmental determinism also known as climatic determinism or geographical determinism is the view that the physical environment rather than social conditions determines culture. Human actions and activities are scientifically caused by environmental conditions. Environmental possibilism and determinism are theories put forth in order to comprehend and understand the role played by the physical environmental conditions in the emergence and progress of any human culture or society in a particular location.

Possibilism in geography developed as a reaction to extreme generalizations of environmental determinists that led to a counter thesis of possibilism which presented the man as an active rather than a passive agent. Possibility means that the outcome cannot be predicted exactly but only as a percentage of chance. Possibilism in cultural geography is the theory that the environment sets certain constraints or limitations but culture is. Determinism means that a future outcome could exactly be predicted based on what has been observed.

It can also be something like an apple tree would never produce pineapples even if it does not produce apples. Environmental possibilism is the idea that although the environment may be limiting in some aspects humans have the ultimate power to adjust to their environment.