GGR329H5 Study Guide - Final Guide: Tsetse Fly, Terra Preta, Humid Continental Climate
Document Summary
Christine rodrigue defines environmental determinism (sometimes called geographical determinism) to be a variant of social darwinism: the appropriation of darwin"s theory of natural selection for use directly on human societies, usually for racist or imperialist apologia. The idea that the natural environment, especially climate, creates natural selective conditions that either bring out the best in humans and create superior cultures or the worst in people and create inferior cultures. Herbert spencer"s key insights were that species/society change factors of evolution. Secondary or derived (brought social evolution itself) Size and density of the social aggregate: the more people, the more idea, more mouths to feed, bigger armies. Some absorb the good ideas while others do not. People were shaped by their environment and they tend to shape it as well. As societies develop, there is a feedback to the environment itself.
