Environmental Determinism: is the

view that the physical environment,

rather than social conditions,

determines culture.

Possibilism: humans are primary

determinant of culture.

Possibilism is the theory that the environment sets certain constraints

or limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social

conditions. For example: Laws, government, technology, religion,

education, etc. examples include: USA vs. Mexico, Japan vs. China,

Great Britain vs. Russia

The fundamental argument of the environmental determinists was that

aspects of physical geography, particularly climate, influenced the

psychological mind-set of individuals, which in turn defined the

behavior and culture of the society.

No Greece, China, Italy

For example, tropical climates

were said to cause laziness,

relaxed attitudes and

promiscuity, while the frequent

variability in the weather of

the middle latitudes led to

more determined and driven

work ethics.

Environmental determinism's

origins go back to antiquity.

Greek geographer Strabo who

wrote that climate influences

the psychological disposition

of different races.

Some in ancient China advanced a form of environmental determinism as found in works written in the 2nd century BCE. We find statements like "Now the water of Qi is forceful, swift and twisting. Therefore its people are greedy, and warlike," and "The water of Chu is gentle, yielding, and pure. Therefore its people are lighthearted, and sure of themselves."

Later critics charged that

environmental determinism

served to justify racism and

imperialism.

The experience of

environmental determinism

has left a scar on

geography, with many

geographers reacting

negatively to any

suggestion of

environmental influences

on human society.

However, Jared Diamond of UCLA

argues that Eurasian civilization is

not created out of superior

intelligence, but is the result of a

chain of developments, each made

possible by certain preconditions.

In our earliest societies, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. The first step

towards civilization is the move from hunter-gatherer to agriculture, with

the domestication and farming of wild crops and animals.

Agricultural production leads to

food surpluses which supported greater population growth. Such growth

led to larger workforces and more inventors, artisans, etc.

Although agriculture arose in several parts of the

world, Eurasia gained an early advantage due to the

greater availability of suitable plant and animal species

for domestication.

In particular, Eurasia had barley, wheat, and rice which are

high in fiber and nutrients. Grains can also be stored for longer

periods of time unlike tropical crops such as bananas.

Eurasian animals include: goats, sheep, pigs, chickens and

cattle provided food, leather, and clothing.

Eurasia as a whole domesticated 13 species of large

animals (over 100 lb); South America just one

(counting the llama and alpaca as breeds within the

same species); the rest of the world none at all.

Sub-Saharan Africans had mostly wild mammals, whereas

Eurasians chanced to have the most docile large animals on the

planet: horses and camels that are easily tamed for human

transport; but their biological relatives zebras are untameable.

Africans, developing alongside large mammals, had available

lions, leopards etc.

Eurasia's dense populations, high levels of trade, and living in close proximity to livestock

resulted in widespread transmission of diseases, including from animals to humans.

Natural selection forced Eurasians to develop immunity to a wide range of pathogens.

When Europeans made contact with America, European diseases (to which they had no

immunity) ravaged the indigenous American population, so that relatively small numbers

of Europeans could maintain their dominance.

Maybe the environment can

determine certain outcomes even if

culture makes many things possible.