The concept of 'environmental determinism' posits that human behavior and societal development are largely shaped by the physical environment. This theory, popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries, argued that climate and geography directly influenced the economic prosperity and cultural characteristics of civilizations. However, modern geographers have largely rejected this deterministic view, favoring instead a 'possibilist' approach. Possibilism suggests that while the environment offers a range of possibilities, human agency and cultural choices ultimately determine which paths are taken. For instance, two societies with identical climates may develop vastly different technologies and social structures due to their unique historical and cultural contexts. Thus, the environment is seen not as a dictator but as a stage upon which human ingenuity plays out.
❓ Согласно тексту, в чем основное различие между экологическим детерминизмом и поссибилизмом?
A. А. Детерминизм подчёркивает климат, а поссибилизм — географию.
B. B. Детерминизм рассматривает окружающую среду как ограничивающий фактор, в то время как поссибилизм видит в ней источник безграничных возможностей.
C. C. Детерминизм утверждает, что окружающая среда определяет развитие человека, тогда как поссибилизм утверждает, что решающими являются человеческие выборы.
D. D. Детерминизм был популярен в XIX веке, в то время как поссибилизм стал популярным в XX веке.
✅ 正确答案
C. Determinism holds that the environment dictates human development, while possibilism holds that human choices are decisive.
IELTS Reading Tips
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