Possibilism is reaction to determinism and environmental determinism. It is based upon the assumption that environment sets certain constraints or limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social conditions. This theory says that the true and only geographical problem is that to utilisation of possibilities.

Alfred Hettner

In cultural ecology, Marshall Sahlins used this concept in order to develop alternative approaches to the environmental determinism dominant at that time in ecological studies.

Neo determinism refers human raceas a passive agent dictated by environmental, biosphere factors . These factors determine their attitude, decision-making capability, and lifestyle. Neo determinism is the middle path of environmental determinism and possibilism.

Taylor

It is the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state (of an object or event) is completely determined by prior states. This meaning can be distinguished from other varieties of determinism mentioned below.

– Environmental Probabilism: As the humans in the decision units of any entity view their environment, the characteristics of that environment provides cues as to the probability of certain outcomes.

Friedrich Ratzel

A view known as environmental determinism, which holds that environmental features directly determine aspects of human behaviour and society, was propounded by many Enlightenment philosophers, who argued that differences among peoples were not innate but were due to climate, landscape, and other environmental factors.

Environmental determinism, or the idea that the environment (including geography and climate) determines the character and attributes of cultural and ethnic groups, was historically used to justify Western colonisation.

The concept of environmental determinism explains that human is a passive agent, influenced by the environmental factors that are physical factors like climate, flora, fauna, etc which determine the attitude of decision-making and lifestyle of human beings.

Answer: During the early periods of human history, men and women were greatly influenced by their surrounding environment as they used low level of technology. Thus, humans were naturalised because they were afraid of nature and worshipped it. This is known as naturalisation of humans.

Answer: Neodeterminism reflects a middle path between two ideas of environmental determinism and possibilism. It means that possibilities can be created within the limits which do not the environment.

Possibilism is different from Environmental Determinism in the given manner: There was no technology to modify the environment by man. The humans adapted to dictates of nature. He became afraid of nature and worshipped the forces of nature such as fire and rain.

French expert Lucian Febre and Paul Vidal de la Blache are considered as founders of Possibilism.

Determinists thought that the natural environment determined the human response, while possibilists thought that the environment gave people a number of possibilities, each of which could be followed by different groups of people.

What’s the difference between environmental determinism and possiblism? Environmental determinism argued that geography was then the study of physical environment and possibilism is the theory that the physical environment may set limits on human actions, but they have the ability to adjust.