Environmental Determinism – A Concept Note

Environmental determinism was described by Semple (1911, p.620) as ‘the influence of climate upon race temperament’. It formed a notion that sparked debate in the 19th and 20th century, as to whether human society and activities are controlled by the physical environment in which they take place (Goodwin et al 2005).

Scientific thinkers of the 19th century, Larmarck and Darwin looked at the environmental impacts on organisms’ biology and their subsequent behavior. In Lamarck's (1914 ed.) theory, he outlines how an organisms’ shape and organisation is caused by environmentally induced habits – ‘the giraffe actively stretched its neck reaching for the upper leaves of trees in semiarid regions’ (Peet, 1985, p.312).

Fredrich Ratzel, although still “convinced of the importance of the idea of evolution” (Wanklyn, 1961, p.19), saw development of societies as dependent on what the land provides. To some extent there are modern day examples of where this is true, the UAE is a country located on land containing vast amounts of valuable oil, in 2009 it exported 2.395 million bbl/day (CIA World Factbook, 2012) – one the highest amounts of any country. Subsequently its GNP per capita in 2009 hit $48,900 (CIA World Factbook, 2012). It could be argued therefore, a society’s development is determined by the quality of the land that it resides on.
Debatably there is more to environmental determinism then this. Ellen Semple (1911) looked at the idea of temperament. She controversially stated that, ‘the northern peoples of Europe are energetic, provident… thoughtful’ and that ‘the southerners of the sub-tropical Mediterranean basin are easy-going… gay, emotional, imaginative, all qualities which… degenerate into grave racial faults.’ (Semple, 1911, p. 620). Such trails of though had as Peet (1985, p.323) suggests ‘immediate appeal for the leading social forces of her time’.
As Geography moved into the 20th century the notion started to be seen as generalised and largely racist, Peet (1985, p.327) goes on to suggest that it fails “to realize the profound differences between human beings and the rest of nature”. Its development indeed comes from the biological work by Darwin and Larmarck and little separation during this early stage was made between humans and other animals. Karl Marx (1845) outlined however “men can be distinguished from animals by consciousness… They themselves begin to distinguish themselves from animals as soon as they begin to produce their means of subsistence”. This means of subsistence is seen in the form of human labour, whereby Marx outlined how humans can shape and effect the environment, ‘’Labour is, first of all, a process by which man, through his own actions, mediates, regulates and controls the metabolism between him and nature’’ (Marx 1976, p.283).
Further criticism came from Carl Saucer, Peet (1985, p.327-328) nicely summarised some of her thoughts on environmental determinism, “Nature merely provided the materials that set the limits within which lay many possible choices”. This notion makes up the backbone for what is known as Possibilism, a contrasting idea to determinism and one that could be seen as more accurate.
It might be suggested that the environment can limit the way society acts but there is no empirical evidence suggesting it decides it. Having said this neither environmental determinism or possibilism have achieved much of a foothold within empirical geographical belief. Yet even so, environment determinism is seemingly the least favorable; “Environmental determinism has a tarnished geographical reputation in more ways than one” (Richardson 1996, p.214).

Bibliography

Goodwin, M.; Crang, P.; Clock, P. 2005. Introducing Human Geographies, Hodder Arnold: London

Lamarck, J. 1914. Zoological philosophy: An exposition with regard to the natural history of animals. Trans. H. Elliot. Macmillan: London

Marx, K. 1976 [1867]. Capital. Vol 1. Penguin: London
Peet, R. 1985. The Social Origins of Environmental Determinism: The Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 75(3), 1985, pp.309-333. Taylor and Francis Ltd, Florence

Richardson, B. 1996. Detrimental Determinists: Applied Environmentalism as Bureaucratic Self- Interest in the Fin-de-Siecle British Caribbean: Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 86(2), 1996, pp. 213-234. Taylor and Francis Ltd, Florence

Semple, E. 1911, influences of geographic environment on the basis of Razel’s system of anthropo-geography. Russell and Russell: New York