The theory of environmental determinism is a prominent concept in the discipline of geography that has impacted the course of modern geographic thought as we know it (Peet 1985; Heffernan 2009). In brief, the premise of environmental determinism, also known as geographical determinism or climatic determinism, asserts that the physical environment, including climate, predisposes states, societies, and individuals towards specific development paths (Agnew and Livingstone 2011). Environmental determinism contributed to the understanding of human-environment interaction within the discipline of geography and also influenced related seminal concepts such as possibilism (Lewthwaite 1966; Heffernan 2009). Furthermore, the concept of environmental
…show more content…
Indeed, Semple, along with geographer Ellsworth Huntington, used this idea to argue that the dominance of certain individuals and societies over others was either the product of environmentally related racial characteristics or divinely preordained (Keighren 2006). This led to using environmental determinism theory as the scientific justification for distasteful ideas and actions such as the imperial events of late nineteenth and early twentieth century capitalism (Peet 1985). The idea and implications of “scientific racism” associated with environmental determinism resulted in rejection of the theory by many geographers, triggering the creation of related theories such as possibilism, which claims that the physical environment is influential but ultimately passive and humans are the active agent (Lewthwaite 1966; Heffernan …show more content…
The justification of imperialistic ideas that parallels the evolution of environmental determinism drastically impacted societies across the globe (Frenkel 1992; Heffernan 2009). Historically, to legitimate imperial conquest, principles were derived from Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which did not acknowledge fundamental differences between humans and the rest of nature, thus leading to “scientific racism” and an academic crossroads for the discipline of geography (Peet 1985). Although environmental determinism did acknowledged the relationship between humans and the environment, and contribute to the course of geographic thought, it essentially (and more importantly) laid the groundwork for future related ideas that better addressed the phenomena (Lewthwaite 1966; Peet 1985; Heffernan 2009; Agnew and Livingstone
Indeed, Semple, along with geographer Ellsworth Huntington, used this idea to argue that the dominance of certain individuals and societies over others was either the product of environmentally related racial characteristics or divinely preordained (Keighren 2006). This led to using environmental determinism theory as the scientific justification for distasteful ideas and actions such as the imperial events of late nineteenth and early twentieth century capitalism (Peet 1985). The idea and implications of “scientific racism” associated with environmental determinism resulted in rejection of the theory by many geographers, triggering the creation of related theories such as possibilism, which claims that the physical environment is influential but ultimately passive and humans are the active agent (Lewthwaite 1966; Heffernan …show more content…
The justification of imperialistic ideas that parallels the evolution of environmental determinism drastically impacted societies across the globe (Frenkel 1992; Heffernan 2009). Historically, to legitimate imperial conquest, principles were derived from Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which did not acknowledge fundamental differences between humans and the rest of nature, thus leading to “scientific racism” and an academic crossroads for the discipline of geography (Peet 1985). Although environmental determinism did acknowledged the relationship between humans and the environment, and contribute to the course of geographic thought, it essentially (and more importantly) laid the groundwork for future related ideas that better addressed the phenomena (Lewthwaite 1966; Peet 1985; Heffernan 2009; Agnew and Livingstone