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LECTURE 2: GEOGRAPHY OF THE ANCIENT GREEK CIVILISATION (PART 1) — Transcript

by D. D. Ocansey Jnr · 8,587 words · 1,718 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:03hello
0:06everyone you are
0:09welcome to phcl
0:12[Music]
0:15203 outlines of Graco Roman
0:23civilizations welcome back to academic
0:26Journey here on
0:28YouTube I am trilled to embark on
0:32another intellectual joury with all of
0:35you
0:36today we are delving into the topic
0:41geography of the ancient Greek
0:46civilization this topic is so
0:49fascinating so fascinating in the sense
0:52that it is proval it is crucial to
0:56understanding of who we are as human
0:59beings
1:00our cravan dog to Backle up because
1:03we'll be delving into some
1:06intriguing topics that will blow your
1:11mind imagine our
1:14planet an inate stage where human beings
1:19and their
1:20environment engage in a dance of
1:26influences shaping
1:28civilizations and C
1:30CES it a t of how the Landscapes the
1:35geography the fiscal environment M
1:39societies and how ingenious human beings
1:43navigate geographical challenges and how
1:47the unexpected factors of probability
1:52spies up this
1:54Cosmic
1:58Journey so my dear friends and
2:02students fasten your seat
2:04belts we are going to study these
2:10theories and we'll be stepping into the
2:12shoes of some philosophers and some
2:16historians who have dared D to decode D
2:21to
2:22understand the intricate dance between
2:26human
2:27beings and their environment
2:31get ready for a real coaster of ideas a
2:35symphony of
2:37perspectives and a celebration of
2:40intellectual
2:41curiosity at this point I'll create your
2:44Indulgence once again to hit that
2:47subscriber button share this lecture
2:50with another friend you can choose to
2:53grab that favorite
2:54snack and let us EMB back on this
2:58intellectual AUD say
3:00together once again welcome to
3:05phcl
3:08to3 outlines of Graco Roman
3:14civilizations let the
3:17exploration
3:23begin I am not just an
3:26academic I am a passionate Explorer
3:30of the classical World a Forward
3:33Thinking educator and a catalyst for
3:36change in the realm of classical studies
3:39with an unwavering commitment to my
3:41vision I bring the wisdom of the Greco
3:45Roman civilization into the Modern Age
3:49igniting curiosity and
3:52challenging conventional thinking my
3:55name is dy Jr and I'm excited
4:01exited to lead you in this interesting
4:05discussion I'm a senior member of the
4:08Department of philosophy and Classics
4:11University of
4:17Ghana I am
4:19hoping that at the end of this
4:22particular
4:23lecture students will be able to
4:27explain that the physical context of
4:30every civilization is a necessary
4:33condition for understanding that
4:37Civilization I'm also hoping that
4:39students will be able to expound and
4:43contextualize the theories of
4:46environmental determinism environmental
4:49possibilism and environmental
4:53probabilism from a Greek civilization
4:58perspective
5:02my objective three is that students will
5:05be able to apply the theories of
5:09environmental determinism environmental
5:11possibilism and environmental
5:13probabilism as a theoretical framework
5:15to elucidate the connections between
5:19Geographic factors or indicators such as
5:22the land the water bodies the vegetation
5:24the climate civilization and human
5:27development of the anient Greek
5:30civilization and finally I'm hoping that
5:34my students will be able to superimpose
5:37the Greek experience onto the ghanian
5:40reality identifying both points of
5:44Divergence and point of
5:50convergence as a guide I'll first of all
5:55try to place the whole discussion in
5:57context by looking at at some
6:01preambles I'll go ahead to look at some
6:04theories of human geography
6:07relationship but I'll pay particular
6:10attention to the trilogy of
6:12environmental
6:14determinism environmental personalism
6:17and environmental
6:21probabilism I'll go ahead to look at
6:23some Geographic indicators of the Asian
6:26Greek
6:27civilization and see how best these
6:30theories can be used to explain the
6:34correlations that exist between the
6:37physcal environment civilizations and
6:40human
6:41development and finally I'll end the
6:44lecture by looking at some Reflections
6:48for developing nations like
6:53Ghana I would also like to add that this
6:57YouTube
6:58recording will be in two parts part one
7:02and part two part one will take into
7:05consideration the Preamble together with
7:08the theories of human geography
7:10relationship and part two we look at the
7:13geographic indicators of the Asian Greek
7:17civilization Vis how we can use the
7:20theories to interpret them and finally
7:24end with conclusions and Reflections for
7:28developing nations
7:30like Ghana the recommended
7:33texts are clearly sh can be clearly seen
7:37on the screens and have also been
7:39provided in the course
7:44outline may we now begin this lecture by
7:48looking at some
7:53preambles the Asian Greeks achieved
7:56remarkable fits
7:59from philosophy to politics to Arts to
8:04culture I can go on and on however for
8:08us to fully understand the factors that
8:12contributed to their achievement it is
8:15important for us to
8:18examine the profound impact of their
8:22physical environment and this particular
8:24lecture explores that intricate
8:27relationship between geography
8:29human development and the
8:32emergence or success of the ancian Greek
8:36civilization you note that by delving
8:39into the territorial extent the
8:42landscape the climate the vegetation the
8:45maritime accessibility we will be
8:47uncovering some foundational factors
8:51that shaped the unique features of the
8:55ancient Greek
8:58civilization
9:00so what I'll be doing
9:02subsequently is to offer a critical
9:05commentary on some extract from
9:08prominent scholar on this particular
9:11subject matter and these Scholars have
9:15attempted an explanation into the
9:18reasons or the causes of the remarkable
9:21achievement of the GRE Greek
9:23civilization from a geographical
9:27perspective I'll begin
9:29my first extract with that of
9:33Aristotle and he says I
9:36quote people living in colder places in
9:40Europe are filled with courage and
9:43ambition but their skills and mental
9:46abilities are limited this is why
9:50although capable of maintaining their
9:53independence they cannot form a
9:55political Unity or govern others they
9:59the Asians on the other hand have both
10:01brains and skills but they lack the
10:05courage and will thus they are doomed to
10:08slavery the Helens being geographically
10:13in the
10:14middle and I repeat the Helens being
10:18geographically in the medal had their
10:21share from both of them thus they own
10:25the best political institutions and are
10:28able to maintain their independence
10:36unquote a critical
10:38analysis of this particular statement of
10:42Aristotle from a human environment
10:46interaction perspective provides insight
10:50into the historical context and the
10:53interplay between
10:55geography culture and political
10:58organization
10:59Aristotle's assertion about people in
11:03Coda places in Europe being
11:07courageous but limited in skills and
11:10mental ability reflect an earlier form
11:13of environmental determinism a theory
11:17I'll be talking about very
11:20soon these perspectives suggest a direct
11:25link between geographical conditions and
11:29human
11:31characteristics but from a contemporary
11:33Viewpoint it is essential that we
11:35challenge this particular deterministic
11:38approach because it
11:40oversimplifies the complex relationship
11:43between humans and their environment the
11:47idea that people in Coda places
11:50possesses courage due to the challenges
11:53of the environment environment is
11:55reminiscent of environmental adaptation
11:57theories how it is true that
12:01environmental challenges can shape
12:03cultures overlooking the diversity of
12:06skills and mental abilities within these
12:10regions is
12:11problematic people adapt to their
12:14environment in various ways and
12:16intelligence and skills are influenced
12:20by a lot of factors that go beyond the
12:24climate so you notice that Aristotle's
12:26division of the anient
12:30into possessing brains and skills by
12:32lacking courage and will leading them to
12:35slavery to some extent reflect some
12:38bayas and ethnocentric
12:41perspective and this particular
12:43oversimplification ignores the rich
12:46cultural social and environmental
12:48factors that shape human beings or that
12:51shape who we are as human
12:57beings the concept that the her
13:01benefiting from the middle by by being
13:03geographically in the
13:05middle and as a result of that they have
13:08the best political
13:09institutions and they have been able to
13:11maintain their independence also suggest
13:15a simplistic understanding of how
13:17geography influences political de
13:20development so how geography can
13:22influence interactions and resource
13:24availability it is only one of the many
13:27factors shaping itical
13:30institutions in the context of human
13:32environment interaction it is very
13:34crucial for us to recognize the
13:36reciprocal relationship between human
13:39beings and their environment people
13:41adapt to their environment but they also
13:43shape and modify their environment
13:48political and social and economic
13:50systems are normally
13:53influenced by the dynamic interplay of
13:56culture technology and and other
14:00factors and I'm of the view that
14:03Aristotle's
14:04perspective while it is very
14:07historically significant it should it
14:09should be approached critically from a
14:11human environment interaction
14:14standpoint recognizing the limitations
14:17of environmental determinism and
14:19appreciating the complexity of human
14:23adaptation and societal development is
14:25very essential for a more new 's
14:29understanding or the relationship
14:31between people and their
14:35environment the next accept I will be
14:38looking
14:40at is that of Buri and
14:46me and they argue I
14:49quote the rivers and the
14:52valleys the mountains bays and icelands
14:56of
14:57Greece
14:59is useful at the very outset to grab
15:03some general features which went to make
15:06the history of the Greeks what it was
15:10and what otherwise it could not have
15:13been the character of their history is
15:16so intimately connected with the
15:20character of their Dwelling Places that
15:23we cannot conceive it apart from their
15:27lands and seas
15:30unquote this particular
15:33except from a history of Greece byber
15:36and Mex underscores the
15:39importance of geographical of the
15:41geographical context in shaping the
15:43history of the Greeks in fact it
15:47emphasizes on the rivers the valley the
15:50mountain bays and the
15:53islands as
15:55fundamental to understanding Greek
15:58history
15:59history and this clearly outlines or
16:03aligns with human geography perspective
16:06and from this particular Viewpoint you
16:08note that the environment is seen as a
16:11dynamic force a dynamic force that
16:14shapes human behavior a dynamic force
16:17that shapes societal structure and and a
16:19dynamic force that shapes historical
16:23development and this particular
16:24assertion that the character of the
16:26Greek history is in in imately connected
16:29with their Dwelling Places recognizes
16:33the reciprocal relationship between
16:35human beings and the
16:37environment geographical features such
16:40as the river the valley the mountains
16:42often influence settlement patterns
16:45influence trade Roots influence resource
16:47distribution and even influence the
16:51impact on socioeconomic development and
16:54even political development of a
16:56particular
16:57society the Bay and the islands for
16:59example also play a crucial role in
17:03Maritime
17:05activities aiding trade and even
17:07cultural
17:08exchange so by acknowledging the
17:12interdependence of history and geography
17:14B and Ma highlight the significance of
17:19considering environmental factors in
17:21historical analysis and this particular
17:24perspective encourages an understanding
17:27of how the natural landscape the climate
17:30the topography contribute to a unique
17:33characteristic of a particular
17:36civilization in fact this particular
17:38extract
17:40appreciates and recognizes the
17:43Inseparable Inseparable connection
17:46between the Greeks their history and
17:48their
17:49geographical conditions and to a larger
17:52extent this particular extract
17:54underscores the importance of
17:57incorporating human environment
17:59interaction perspectives in order to
18:01comprehend in order to understand the
18:04complexities of historical
18:12narratives in my third extract in my
18:16quest to delve into the geography of
18:20ancient of the ancient Greek
18:22civilization I'll be looking at the a
18:26quotation from
18:28it all and I
18:31quote those far flanked
18:34Greeks left a
18:37prizeless of legacy of
18:40achievements in
18:42art in
18:44literature in
18:46politics in philosophy in mathematics in
18:51science and
18:52War their story is a long and
18:55fascinating one a history of the Greeks
18:58must begin with the land for the natural
19:02environment of a people the landscape
19:05the climate and the natural resources is
19:09a major factor in determining the way
19:13they lived and how they developed
19:17socially
19:19unquote in this particular
19:22except by P at
19:24all they emphasize the significance
19:29of the natural environment in
19:31understanding the
19:32achievements and the development of the
19:34Asian Greek civilization and this
19:37particular perspective aligns very much
19:40with human environment interaction
19:42framework that recognizes the dynamic
19:45relationship between the
19:48society and their
19:50environment the
19:52acknowledgement of a Priceless of Legacy
19:55in various Fields including art
19:59literature politics mathematics science
20:03and War reflect an
20:05appreciation of the multifaceted
20:08contribution of the Greeks to
20:12modernity so by asserting that the
20:15history of the Greeks must first of all
20:18begin with an examination of the land
20:20the climate and the natural
20:22resources they tend to highlight the
20:25importance of
20:27contextualizing human Endeavors within
20:30an environment environmental
20:34context from a human environment
20:36interaction Viewpoint the landscape the
20:38climate and the resources play a an
20:40integral role a vital role in shaping
20:43societal structures in shaping economic
20:45activities and in shaping cultural
20:48expressions so for instance the
20:51geographical layout of Greece with this
20:53ragged terrain and Scattered Islands
20:56influence Trade It influen
20:59communication to the extent that it
21:01helped in the establishment or it
21:04influenced the establishment of city
21:07states so by placing so much emphasis on
21:10the natural environment bu um P at all
21:14encourage readers to consider how the
21:18Greeks way of
21:19life and their Social Development were
21:22intricately linked to their surroundings
21:26and this particular Approach at some
21:28depth it adds some some some depth to
21:31the historical narrative by recognizing
21:35that environmental factors that
21:36contributed to the unique
21:38characteristics of the Greek
21:40civilization can cannot be swept under
21:42the
21:44carpet and for me primary at all they
21:48they ask appreciate the the
21:52recognition of the importance of the
21:55natural environment in shaping the
21:57history of the Asian
21:58and this particular extract underscores
22:02the value of adapting the Human
22:04Geography interaction perspective to
22:07comprehensively understand the
22:09complexities of a society development
22:13and the the enduring impact of its
22:20achievements the next extract I'll be
22:22looking at is one from Anthony
22:26Andrew
22:28he argues and I
22:30quote it is a poor land but it is also a
22:34land in which a full life can be led on
22:39rather slender
22:41resources geography and climate do not
22:44by themselves account for the manifold
22:46achievement of the Asian Greeks but they
22:49determine some of the ways in which
22:52their civilization grew an examination
22:56of the Greek society must begin with the
23:01physical facts
23:04unquote in this
23:06particular except from Antony
23:09Andrew he
23:11emphasizes the
23:13importance of considering the fiscal
23:15environment particularly the lands
23:18quality and climate in understanding the
23:21achievements and development of the
23:23Asian Greek
23:26civilization
23:30he
23:33acknowledges that the land of the Asian
23:36Greeks was a poor land and therefore
23:40reflects an awareness of the
23:43challenges that is posed by the physical
23:48environment however he balances this by
23:51noting that a full life can still be led
23:55on rather slender resources
23:59and this particular recognition speaks
24:01to the resilience and the adap
24:05adaptability of the ancient Greeks and
24:07therefore suggest that they found ways
24:10to thrive despite the limitations of
24:15their geographical
24:19settings his assertion that geography
24:23and climate alone do not account for the
24:26manifold achievement of the Asian Greeks
24:29is very important and
24:31crucial it cautions against
24:34deterministic thinking and emphasizes
24:37the complexity of other factors that
24:42contribute to the development of
24:44civilization so he while acknowledging
24:47the role of the fiscal condition
24:50antonian Ru s suggests that other
24:54cultural social historical aspect also
24:57play a significant role in shaping the
25:01civilization of the ancient
25:05Greeks his statement that an examination
25:09of the Greek society must begin with the
25:11physical facts underscores the
25:13fundamental role that the
25:16environment plays in historical
25:19development and this particular
25:21perspective it it prompts to some extent
25:23a holistic analysis urging us to
25:26consider how physical landscapes
25:29influence settlement patterns AG
25:31cultural practices trade roots and other
25:35aspect of our daily
25:37life and and this particular extract
25:40from Andrews and provides some
25:43understanding or by acknowledging the
25:47impact of geography and climate on the
25:49Asian Greek civilization but it also
25:52cautions against oversimplification and
25:56in fact it invites with the readers to
25:58explore the relationship between the
26:00physical environment and the
26:02multifaceted development of
26:08societies the last but not the least
26:11extract and personal
26:16favorite is by
26:18AKA and I
26:21quote the account of the remarkable
26:23achievement of the
26:25Greeks and the reasons for
26:28or causes of those achievements will be
26:31incomplete without reference to the
26:34fiscal environment in which the Greeks
26:36lived this suggest that some correlation
26:41exist between the fiscal environment
26:44human development and civilization
26:51unquote this particular
26:54extract is a very interesting extract
26:59in fact it reflects a sound
27:03understanding of the
27:05interconnectedness between human
27:09achievements the physical
27:10[Music]
27:12environment and
27:17civilization this particular
27:18acknowledgement that the account of the
27:21Greek's accomplishment will be
27:24incomplete without considering the
27:26fysical environment aligns with the
27:28recognition that the environmental
27:31factors are
27:32integral to understanding historical
27:36developments in fact his phrase some
27:39correlations exist between the fiscal
27:42environment human development and
27:44civilization indicates an awareness and
27:48awareness of the complex
27:50relationship that shapes
27:53society and in fact it implies an
27:56appreciation
27:58of the multifaceted ways in which
28:00geography and climate and the natural
28:03resources influence culture influence
28:06social
28:07economic and economic and human that it
28:11it it
28:14reflects it reflects
28:17how geography and climate and the
28:19natural resources
28:21influence culture and how it influences
28:24social and economic aspect of the human
28:28in fact especially from a Greek
28:30civilization perspective and in fact it
28:33emphasizes the importance of the fiscal
28:36environment by encouraging us to go
28:41beyond a simplistic analysis and
28:44consider the Nuance interplay between
28:47human beings and their environment and
28:49this particular perspective is crucial
28:51in avoiding deterministic views that
28:55attribute achievement solely to
28:58geographical factors while recognizing
29:01that the relationship is a reciprocal
29:04relationship however it is very
29:06essential to note that while the fiscal
29:09environment plays a very significant
29:12role it is not the soul determinant of
29:15civilization or human
29:17development other factors such as social
29:20political and cultural Dynamics also
29:23contribute to the complexity of human
29:26history so a critical human environment
29:29interaction perspective should consider
29:31these factors in
29:34conjunction with a physical
29:36environment and in fact this particular
29:40extract represent a thoughtful
29:41recognition a thoughtful recognition of
29:44the importance of the of the importance
29:46of the physical environment in
29:48understanding the achievement of the
29:51Greeks in fact it really aligns well
29:54with the principles of the human
29:56environment in interactions have earlier
29:58on made mention of from a very holistic
30:04perspective by exploring the indic
30:06intricate connections between the
30:09environment between environmental
30:11conditions and the development of
30:19civilizations
30:21so what critical
30:24observations can we make from the
30:27various extracts we've looked at
30:31extracts from
30:33scess who have attempted an
30:36interpretation of the reasons or the
30:38causes of the remarkable achievement of
30:40the Greek civilization from a
30:43geographical perspective What
30:45similarities what What observations can
30:48we make in relation to similarities and
30:52differences the the first observation we
30:55can make is a recognition
30:57of environmental influence in fact all
31:00the extracts we have looked at recognize
31:04the influence of the fiscal environment
31:07on the development of the Greek
31:09civilization by discussing the Greek
31:12achievement their political institutions
31:14or their societal structures there's a
31:16common acknowledgement that the
31:19environment or the environment played a
31:21very important
31:24role the second observation we can make
31:26in terms of of
31:28similarity is what I call human
31:31environment interaction perspective in
31:33fact the extracts share a human
31:37environment interaction perspective by
31:40emphasizing the dynamic relationship
31:42between human beings and their
31:43environment in fact these extracts
31:46suggest that to understand the Greek
31:49history fully to comprehend the Greek
31:52history
31:54fully to have a complete understanding
31:57of the Greek history together with the
32:00markable achievement of the Greek
32:01civilization one must first of all
32:05consider that reciprocal influence of
32:09the environment and human
32:12development the third observation we can
32:14also
32:15make is what I call complexity Beyond
32:19geography in fact how we acknowledge
32:22that geography plays a very important
32:25role the a shared sentiment across the
32:29extract across the scholars we've looked
32:31at that the relationship between the
32:34Greeks and their environment it's very
32:36complex it's very complex in the sense
32:38that none of these observation
32:42simplifies the
32:45achievement or the challenges of the
32:47Greek
32:49civilization to a so
32:51determinant of geography it means that
32:54they all appreciate that to to a larger
32:57extent to explain the remarkable
32:59achievement of the Greek civilization
33:02one must go beyond the fiscal
33:09environment what are some of the
33:10differences I think one one of the
33:12striking difference is the degree of
33:15determinism that we can interpret into
33:18some of these extract in fact when we
33:20look at the extract from Aristotle it it
33:22lanss more towards
33:25determinism by making very bold claims
33:28about the characteristics of different
33:30regions in
33:32contrast other extracts were more Nuance
33:36acknowledging the complexity of the
33:39factors beyond
33:44geography another
33:47difference we can observe is the focus
33:50on specific
33:53aspects while all the extracts touch on
33:56various aspect of the Greek civilization
33:59for example from politics to Art to
34:01literature they have different
34:06emphasis some for example stress on the
34:09contributions of the Greeks in different
34:12fields While others emphasize the
34:15adaptability of the Greeks on the
34:20necessity of considering the fysical
34:23environment and the last but not the
34:25least observation
34:27we can make it's a caution against the
34:31simplification so the exra from um Anoni
34:35Andrews and that of AKA for example they
34:38explicitly caution against the
34:41oversimplification in fact they
34:43recognize that while the environment is
34:45an essential part or play an essential
34:47part attributing all aspect of the Greek
34:50civilization solely to the influence of
34:53the environment may be overly
34:55deterministic
34:58others also adapt a Nuance approach
35:00acknowledging the multifaceted nature of
35:03the Greek um achievement so in all um I
35:06can say
35:09that the extra shared themes recognizing
35:13the influence of the fiscal
35:16environment and there are some
35:18differences in the degree of the
35:21determinism the specific aspects
35:24emphasized and the level of caution
35:27against the oversimplification across
35:28the extract is very
35:33clear so these nuances to a larger
35:36extent contribute to a more
35:38comprehensive understanding of the
35:40complex relationship between the ancient
35:43Greeks and their fiscal
35:46[Music]
35:48environment I will now move
35:50on to our next
35:54subtopic which is the theor stories of
35:57human geography
36:01relationships do not forget that we are
36:04looking at the geography of ancian
36:08Greeks and I began by first of all
36:12attempting to place the whole discussion
36:14in
36:16context
36:18Scholars who have attempted an
36:22explanation of the reasons or causes of
36:26the markable achievement of the ancient
36:28Greek
36:30civilization most often than not pay
36:33particular
36:35attention to the
36:37fiscal
36:40environment so what we are going to do
36:43is look at some theoretical
36:45Frameworks in relation to Human
36:48Geography relationship and how we can
36:50use these theories to
36:55explain the remarkable achievement of
36:59the Graco Roman
37:01civilization from a geographical
37:03perspective using the various Geographic
37:09indicators by human environment
37:12relationship what do I
37:16mean we say human environment
37:18relationship is the interplay between
37:22people and their
37:25environment it
37:27including the element and the
37:29arrangement by which people use the
37:31environment and the limitation the
37:34environment normally puts on human
37:37behavior and culture but we can also
37:40observe that human beings depend on the
37:44environment in fact human beings adapt
37:49to the environment and human beings also
37:54modify the environment
37:57but it is important to
37:59note that when it comes to the theories
38:02of human geography relationship several
38:06theories have been adapted in human
38:09geography to help explain this
38:14relationship so some of the significant
38:16ones
38:17include cultural ecology which is
38:21normally a theory that argues that human
38:23societies have adapted to their physcal
38:26environment and that cultural practices
38:28are shaped by the availability of
38:33resources there's also what we call the
38:35political ecology which is a theory that
38:38emphasizes the
38:40role of power and politics in shaping
38:44human environment interaction
38:46particularly IM relation to access to
38:49and control of
38:50resources there's also the theory um the
38:53historical geography um Theory
38:57which normally examines how human
39:00societies and cultures have changed over
39:02time and how they have been shaped by
39:05historical events and processes there's
39:07also behavioral geography which normally
39:10examines the behavior of individuals and
39:13groups in relation to the environment
39:16focusing on issues such as Mobility
39:19decision making and spacal cognition and
39:22there's also Regional geography which
39:24normally looks at the ways which
39:27different regions of the world are
39:29interconnected and how they are shaped
39:31by global economic political and
39:34cultural factors there's also um
39:37economic geography which normally
39:39examines the relationship between
39:42economic activity and environment
39:44including the location of Industries and
39:46the flow of goods and services so you
39:49notice that these theories are not
39:51mutually exclusive and many human
39:54geographers use a combination of
39:56perspective to understand the complex
39:58relationship between human beings and
40:01their
40:05environment there is
40:08also environmental determinism
40:11environmental
40:12possibilism and environmental
40:15probabilism as theories of human
40:18geography
40:19relationship so I will not be
40:21concentrating on the other theories
40:24despite the fact that I've have made
40:26mention of the fact that they are not
40:29mutually exclusive for the purposes of
40:32this particular lecture I'll be paying
40:35particular attention to environmental
40:37determinism environmental personalism
40:40and environmental
40:43Pro
40:47bism so the the first human geography
40:50relationship Theory I'll be looking at
40:54for the purposes of our discussion is
40:57environmental
41:00determinism but I like to say as my
41:02opening remark
41:04for to introduce environmental
41:07determinism that the relationship
41:09between human beings and their
41:11environment has been a major problem
41:13especially from the 19th century even up
41:16to the early 20th
41:18century and a lot of geographers
41:20especially geographers of the classical
41:23times and the Medieval Times
41:28have major concerns in relation to Human
41:32Geography relationship and for that
41:34matter the issue of the human
41:37environment interaction or the human
41:39environment relationship still continues
41:42unabated up to
41:45now a major concern is that how do
41:49people or how the human beings relate
41:52with their
41:53environment but see this particular
41:55question is one in which which it it has
41:59been contested it has been contested in
42:01the sense that the environment
42:02determines human life and as a result of
42:05that nature in itself is a social
42:14construct now at what point do we
42:16consider an explanation
42:19deterministic we consider an explanation
42:24deterministic when one set of
42:30things directly causes and by directly
42:34causing are making reference to a linear
42:37or one directional way another set of
42:40things so when a causes b in a linear
42:45way or in a one directional way then
42:49when you you are able to read such
42:51meaning into it then that particular
42:53explanation is a determinist
43:01explanation major figures or proponent
43:05of environmental determinism include the
43:08German geographer and Frederick razel
43:11and the American geographers elen simple
43:14and um else what hton then we also have
43:18the Australian geographer gffa these are
43:22major proponents of Environmental
43:26determinism and subsequently I'll try my
43:29very best to break the concept or the
43:32theory of environmental determinism into
43:37um into
43:40pieces to help me break the concept of
43:43environmental determinism um down I'll
43:48be using um the explanation of Amanda
43:52Bry to set the ball rolling in in her
43:56book entitled what is environmental
43:59determinism she argues that
44:02environmental determinism or geographic
44:05determinism or climactic determinism is
44:08a
44:09belief that the
44:11environment most notably its physical
44:15factors such as land forms and climate
44:20determines the pattern of human culture
44:25and societal
44:27development to her to the envir to the
44:30environmental
44:33determinist ecological climate and
44:36Geographic factors alone are
44:39responsible for human cultures and
44:42individual decisions also social
44:46conditions have virtually no impact on
44:49cultural development I also like to add
44:52that when it comes to these Concepts
44:55that I'll be taking them in the form of
44:57Trilogy we have what we call the hard
44:59determinist hard possibilist and hard
45:02probabilist and what we call the soft
45:05determinist soft um possibilist and the
45:08soft probabilist but I I'll not be
45:10delving so much into what what I'm doing
45:12is to look at the general understanding
45:15the general concept of environmental
45:18determinism environmental possibilism
45:21and environmental probabilism and as
45:23earlier on indicated when it comes to
45:25determinism I'm using the explanation
45:27from Amanda Bry where she makes the
45:30claim that the environment most notably
45:34its Geographic factors that is the land
45:37the climate the vegetation and so on and
45:39so forth
45:41determine the patterns of human culture
45:44and societal development to the extent
45:46that the ecological climate and
45:49geographic conditions are the so are
45:53solely responsible for human cultures
45:56and individual decision making to the
45:59extent that other social conditions to a
46:01larger extent have no impact they have
46:05no role to play in cultural
46:12development what then are the main
46:15tenets the main
46:17argument of environment of the
46:19environmental determinist okay the first
46:24tenet I'll be talking about is the rule
46:26of the fiscal environment in fact to the
46:29determinist geographic features which
46:32includes the land the water bodies the
46:34climate the vegetation and the various
46:37resources that the environment provides
46:39us with
46:41significantly influence societies and
46:46cultures the next tenet I'll be talking
46:50about is the
46:52determinance of economic and social
46:55system
46:56in fact to the determinance the fiscal
46:58environment is a
47:00determinant of economic and social
47:02factors to a larger extent the
47:05environment shapes the type of economic
47:07and social systems that normally
47:10develops in specific
47:13places and also it influences the
47:17behavior and beliefs of these people who
47:21reside in that particular geographic
47:25area
47:26the next tenet I'll be talking
47:28about is that is passive perception of
47:34human Societies in fact to the
47:37determinist human societies are passive
47:40entities they are positive passive
47:42entities that are incapable of adapting
47:46to or actively shaping their environment
47:50they see the human being as just a
47:53passive human being that virtually does
47:57nothing whatever that human being does
48:00is
48:01determined by the physical
48:05environment the next St I'll be talking
48:07about is the
48:10underestimation of cultural and
48:12historical factors in fact a critique
48:15exist regarding the inadequate
48:18consideration of cultural historical
48:21political and other factors that may
48:25normally come into play in shaping the
48:28human being
48:30so the determinist they overemphasize
48:33the environment they put so much
48:36emphasis on the environment as the
48:38primary
48:39driver of human history and human
48:43development and the last but not the
48:45least tenet I'll be talking about is the
48:48regional differences that are normally
48:50explained by physical factors in fact
48:53there's the belief that the extinct
48:56regions across the globe are shaped by
49:00their fiscal characteristics and that
49:03the type of culture the type of
49:05political system the type of econom
49:08economy a particular society develops is
49:13dependent on the fiscal characteristic
49:17and these characteristics are taught to
49:19explain the variations in societies and
49:22cultures globally so what what I've so
49:25far is look at some of the
49:28major arguments that are normally put
49:31forth by those who subscribe to
49:35environmental
49:38determinism now that we are aware of the
49:41major arguments that the determinist be
49:45it a hard determinist or a soft
49:48determinist will put forth what then can
49:52be the possible argument that can be
49:54offered in favor of environmental
49:57determinism I think it is a legitimate
50:00um question we we should we should be we
50:02can ask ourselves so I'll just quickly
50:05go through them them them
50:09yeah climate and water availability so
50:13um one major argument in favor of
50:16environmental determinism is that
50:17climate and water or whether in climate
50:22um significantly impact human societies
50:27and as a result the
50:29availability of water in arid areas to
50:32some extent directly influences
50:35settlement and settlement development
50:39Agriculture and even pastorial
50:41activities so the availability of the
50:44water determines some of these
50:47activities and the next argument in
50:50favor is the geographical features as
50:53influences so
50:57yes a strong case to make is that the
51:01mountains the rivers the coastline in
51:04fact the geographical conditions and the
51:06geographical features to some extent
51:09serve as barriers that affect human
51:12movement and
51:23communication and by our in it can be a
51:26positive it can affect it positively or
51:29it can affect it negatively but the
51:31bottom line is that geographical
51:33features are major influences they are
51:36major influences when it comes to human
51:39movement and human
51:44communication the next um Factor I'll be
51:48talking about is en environmental
51:52influence on perceptions environmental
51:54influence
51:56on
51:57perceptions the environment to a larger
51:59extent significantly shaps human
52:02perceptions human perceptions about the
52:04world in fact in fact this influence
52:07extend to the development of diverse
52:10cultural cultures and even religious
52:14beliefs the environment so even in our
52:17local dispensation the environment
52:20significantly influences some religious
52:23beliefs and some cultural practices
52:26that are dominant or prevalent in the
52:28environment that we find
52:31ourself then the environment influences
52:34Behavior so a strong case to make is
52:36that whether we like it or not the
52:38physical environment moves human
52:40behavior the physical environment
52:42impacts
52:44interactions and to a larger extent
52:46influences our
52:48surroundings and as a result of that
52:51Mobility patterns and way of life are
52:55largely
52:57shaped by environmental factors right so
53:01our way of life to a larger extent is
53:03shaped by environmental factors and as a
53:06result of that a strong case to make in
53:09favor of environmental determinism is
53:11that the environment
53:13influences our Behavior another case to
53:16make is that the
53:18environment influences social
53:20organization in fact environmental
53:22conditions play a major role in shap
53:25how people organize themselves and I
53:28think in my subsequent submission
53:29especially with the second video I'll be
53:32sharing we get to appreciate how the
53:35fiscal environment
53:37influenced the social organization of
53:41the Greek civilization and this
53:43influence is evident in the formation of
53:46tribes in the formation of city states
53:48and even in the formation of
53:50contemporary contemporary
53:54settlements environmental factors also
53:56impact history and development the
53:59environment plays a major role in
54:01determining human history and
54:03development and I think one of the
54:05abstracts we've earli on looked at makes
54:08a firm claim on this
54:11particular um
54:13point and as a result the environment
54:16influences the evolution of human
54:20societies over a period of
54:24time
54:36and there are some who also claim that
54:38oh the envir the fiscal environment
54:41influences the development of
54:43transportational networks trans
54:45transportational networks intend ship
54:48trade they shape communication and also
54:51they exchange cultural exchanges between
54:54different Geographic regions so these
54:56are some of the arguments that some some
54:59Scholars
55:01normally give in favor of
55:06environmental
55:08determinant what then are some of the
55:11arguments that people have leveled
55:14against environmental
55:17determinism and one of the major um
55:19argument that people or schols normally
55:23level against environmental Det minism
55:25is it is is it
55:28oversimplification so enironmental
55:30determinism seem to over simplify that
55:34relationship that intricate that complex
55:37relationship between human beings and
55:39their environment to the extent that it
55:41neglects the role of human agency and
55:45other cultural factors in shaping a
55:48particular
55:52society another argument that is LEL
55:55against environmental determinism is its
55:57ignorance of how human beings can adapt
56:00and shape their surroundings so
56:03determinism seem to overlook how human
56:07beings have the ability to adapt to and
56:10actively shape or modify their
56:17environment then another argument that
56:20can be leveled against determinism is
56:23assumption about economic and social
56:25systems so determinism can can it
56:28appears that determinism can foster an
56:31assumption that only specific economic
56:34or social systems can develop in certain
56:37places and this oversimplified view does
56:40not consider the
56:43potential of the human being to
56:47diversify the things around
56:51him um environmental determinism can
56:54also be Mis leading when it comes to
56:56conflict and poverty it may contribute
56:59to their perception that certain regions
57:01are inherently PR to conflict or poverty
57:05based on their physical characteristics
57:07or geographic conditions and such
57:09assumptions are not necessarily accur
57:12accurate you see because
57:16the the system that the human being
57:19finds himself is so complex and it
57:22involves that social and economic
57:24dynamic
57:25so for you to read such a meaning
57:28interet in order to create the
57:30impression that certain regions are
57:32inherently prone to conflict and poverty
57:36because of their absolute location in
57:38relation to their the geographic
57:42conditions within that particular
57:44location then it is very misleading so
57:47there is also another argument that is
57:50normally leveled against
57:53determinism
57:55and it also appears that environmental
57:58determinism seems to
58:01neglect the role of politics and Power
58:05in this whole discussion so the
58:07perspective often ignores the role that
58:10politics and power play in this human
58:13environment interaction particularly in
58:15Resource Management in Access and
58:17control and the political factors that
58:21come to play in managing these resources
58:24you see so yes the environment can
58:26determine but a political decision based
58:28on the power that these politicians r or
58:31policies that they may CH
58:34out would influence how that environment
58:38determines the human being
58:49right then environmental determinism
58:52also seems to oversimplify Human Society
58:56in fact determinism May Foster the
58:59belief that societies are solely
59:01determined by their fiscal environment
59:03and this oversimplification ignores that
59:06complexity and the
59:08agency inherent in human behavior and
59:12the decision making process to the
59:16extent that Technologies and
59:17infrastructures are
59:20examples of the human agency
59:23modifying the environment the
59:26environmental determinism oversimplifies
59:29this complex human
59:35nature then there's also the argument of
59:37potential bias and inaccuracy whereever
59:40mental determinism can lead to a biased
59:43view um categorizing societies based on
59:47their environment and this may result an
59:49inaccurate and unfair judgment about the
59:52about the inferiority or Superior
59:54prority of certain cultures and in
59:58fact at the later end of the 20th
1:00:01century this this was a major argument
1:00:04that um geographers or schols leveled
1:00:07against determinism right is that that
1:00:10that potential that it has to breed by
1:00:14us and in accur
1:00:20races my last
1:00:23submission on environmental
1:00:27determinism will be a metaphorical
1:00:32exploration of environmental
1:00:35determinism using Plato's allegory of
1:00:40the
1:00:42cave Plato's allegory of the
1:00:45cave is a philosophical
1:00:51metaphor in book seven
1:00:56of the
1:00:58Republic in this particular
1:01:01allegory prisoners are
1:01:04changed inside a dark cave facing a war
1:01:09where Shadows are cast by objects behind
1:01:13and eliminated behind them and
1:01:16eliminated by fire the
1:01:20prisoners having never seen the outside
1:01:22world perceive the shadows as the only
1:01:27reality when a prisoner is freed and
1:01:30exposed to the sunlight outside the cave
1:01:33they experience
1:01:35Enlightenment and realize the Shadows
1:01:38were mere
1:01:39Illusions the liary symbolizes the
1:01:43journey from ignorance to knowledge
1:01:47highlighting the transformative power of
1:01:50indication and a pit of Truth it says us
1:01:54an allegorical explan exploration of
1:01:57philosophers Ascent from the world of
1:02:00experience to the realm of true
1:02:02knowledge and
1:02:05understanding this
1:02:08allegory provides a conceptual
1:02:11framework that when stretched can be
1:02:15used to explain certain aspects of
1:02:17environmental
1:02:19determinism I like to place on record
1:02:22but that Plato did not directly address
1:02:26environmental determinism in his
1:02:29writings the allegory of the cave just
1:02:32offers a metaphorical Insight that can
1:02:35be metaphorically extended to understand
1:02:39the relationship between human beings
1:02:42and their environment in the context of
1:02:44environmental
1:02:47determinism a careful read you will note
1:02:51that the cave when
1:02:53stretched can can represent the
1:02:56environment in the allegory of the Cave
1:02:59the prisoners are chained inside a dark
1:03:02cave and this that cave in this dark
1:03:05cave they are facing a wall where
1:03:08Shadows are
1:03:10projected the cave represents a confined
1:03:13and limited
1:03:14environment environmental determinism on
1:03:17the other hand persists that the natural
1:03:21surroundings such as the climate such as
1:03:23the vegetation such the land such as the
1:03:26water bodies can
1:03:30constrain and shape human
1:03:34societies a careful read once again at
1:03:38theary of the cave we can equate the
1:03:43shadow as a representation of the
1:03:46influences of the
1:03:48environment the shadows in Plato's
1:03:51allegory are just mere illusions
1:03:55are mere Illusions representing a
1:03:58distorted
1:04:00reality in the context of environmental
1:04:02determinism one can draw a parallel by
1:04:06considering the influences of the
1:04:08environment as shaping the perceptions
1:04:12and behaviors of individuals and
1:04:15societies the environment just normally
1:04:18cast shadows in the form of climate
1:04:21induced
1:04:23behaviors
1:04:24resourc driven economic structures and
1:04:27cultural
1:04:29characteristics the chain represents the
1:04:33constraints of
1:04:35geography prisoners in the cave are
1:04:38changed they are limited by their
1:04:41ability to see beyond the
1:04:43Shadows this can be metaphorically
1:04:46related to the constraint impos by
1:04:50geographical features in environmental
1:04:52determinism certain Geographic factors
1:04:55can act as chains limiting the choices
1:05:00and possibilities available to societies
1:05:03thereby
1:05:05influencing their
1:05:12development the release and
1:05:14Enlightenment part of the
1:05:16allegory represents environmental
1:05:19awareness you note that the joury from
1:05:23the release prisoner in the liary moving
1:05:26from Darkness to Enlightenment can be
1:05:29seen as an anology of societies becoming
1:05:34aware of the environmental determinant
1:05:37that shapes their very
1:05:39existence as societies gain awareness of
1:05:43how their environment in of how their
1:05:46environment influences them they may
1:05:49strive to adapt and respond
1:05:55to these
1:06:00influences the philosopher Kings he spes
1:06:03he speaks
1:06:05about when
1:06:07stretched can represent the product of
1:06:09the environment in fact Plato's concept
1:06:13of philosopher Kings Enlighten rulers
1:06:16shaped by the education and environment
1:06:19it aligns to some extent with
1:06:21environmental determinism it to some
1:06:24extent suggest that individuals who
1:06:27emerge as leaders are products of their
1:06:31surroundings and this to to a larger
1:06:33extent Echo some determinative influence
1:06:37of the environment on human treats human
1:06:41societal structures and even
1:06:46leadership I like to add that whil we
1:06:50can draw some parallels between
1:06:53Environmental determinism and Plato's
1:06:55allegory of the cave Plato's philosophy
1:06:58does not explicitly endorse
1:07:00environmental determinism Plato's focus
1:07:04is more on the realm of ideas with a
1:07:07cave serving as a metaphor for the
1:07:10journey from ignorance to Enlightenment
1:07:13environmental determinism on the other
1:07:14hand focuses on the impact of the
1:07:18physical surroundings on human
1:07:21development so what I've tried to do is
1:07:24to creatively use Plato's allegory of
1:07:26the
1:07:28cave to serve as a metaphorical tool in
1:07:31explaining some aspects of environmental
1:07:36determinism but I also emphasize the
1:07:38influence of the environment on human
1:07:42perceptions on behaviors and even
1:07:45societal
1:07:50structures the next
1:07:52Theory
1:07:54in my set of
1:07:57Trilogy will be
1:08:01environmental
1:08:05possibilism It is
1:08:08believed that the possibilist concepts
1:08:11emerged from geographers who normally
1:08:15transitioned into the field with a
1:08:18background in
1:08:20history and the central idea of the
1:08:24possibilism argument is an emphasis on
1:08:28the freedom of humanity to make
1:08:33choices according to this particular
1:08:35school of
1:08:37thought human activity on Earth results
1:08:41from the initiative and the mobility of
1:08:44individuals working within the framework
1:08:47of natural forces while acknowledging
1:08:50environmental constraint the possest
1:08:53normal highlight the scope of Human
1:08:56Action rather than focusing on its
1:09:01limitation and in in a way they are
1:09:04similar to The determinist just that the
1:09:07possib starts with a
1:09:09concept of a terrestrial hole and the
1:09:14interrelationship of all phenomena on
1:09:17the surface of this
1:09:18Earth however the possibilist plays
1:09:22greater emphasis
1:09:24on human activities than the
1:09:27determinist whilst considering the works
1:09:29of man as a starting
1:09:32point they possibly see the human
1:09:38being as an active
1:09:41entity as an active force that is
1:09:45capable of reacting to and
1:09:48changing his
1:09:52environment and human activity according
1:09:56to the possibilist has the power to
1:10:00modify the environment both organically
1:10:03and
1:10:05inorganically and some major proponents
1:10:09include AF hater without the
1:10:12laan and even Isaiah
1:10:17[Music]
1:10:21Bowman so what then is environment Al
1:10:25possibilism the possibilist normally are
1:10:28set that the physical environment
1:10:31presents a lot of
1:10:33possibilities for human
1:10:35responses that normally allows the
1:10:38individual to have considerable
1:10:41discretion in the choices that the human
1:10:44being
1:10:45makes and this is in sharp contrast with
1:10:50the determinist
1:10:52thesis where there is a riged causality
1:10:56possibilism upholds human agency
1:10:59emphasizing that individuals are not
1:11:02just sleves to their
1:11:05environment and the possib
1:11:08challenge the determinist notion that
1:11:11human beings are mere puppets that are
1:11:14normally controlled by their environment
1:11:17but they also acknowledge that the
1:11:19environment sets some form of limitation
1:11:22on cultural development
1:11:24but they contend that culture is not
1:11:28entirely defined by the environment
1:11:31rather it is shaped by human choices and
1:11:36responses to these
1:11:41constraints to the possibilist the
1:11:43fiscal
1:11:44environment provides avenues for
1:11:47cultural
1:11:48development and human beings in response
1:11:52to their needs
1:11:54make choices from the possibilities that
1:11:57is offered by the environment they also
1:12:02asset that high tech
1:12:05societies are seen as less constrained
1:12:09by the fiscal environment and this
1:12:11showcases the dynamic interaction
1:12:14between culture and Technology the
1:12:17possibilist also
1:12:20recognize that humans cannot enti free
1:12:24themselves from the physical environment
1:12:27however they acknowledge the distinct
1:12:31form from
1:12:33endorsing the complete determinist
1:12:40thesis so what then will be the main
1:12:43tenant of
1:12:45enironmental
1:12:49possibilism one balanced
1:12:52influence of the fiscal
1:12:55environment to the
1:12:57possibilist the fiscal environment
1:13:00establishes potential limits and
1:13:02possibilities for human societies and
1:13:06cultures however the ultimate
1:13:08development and
1:13:10adaptation is not determined by the
1:13:12fiscal environment rather it is
1:13:15determined by the human
1:13:18agency and other cultural
1:13:21factors two human
1:13:24adaptability and shaping
1:13:27capability to the possest human
1:13:30societies possesses the
1:13:33capability to adapt to and actively
1:13:37shape the
1:13:39environment in this case Technologies
1:13:41and infrastructures are notable
1:13:46examples in
1:13:48shaping our
1:13:50environment three equal importance of
1:13:54culture and history in fact the Poss to
1:13:58the possibilist culture and history play
1:14:00a very important role in shaping human
1:14:03societies and cultures and as a result
1:14:07they hold significant equal
1:14:11significance with their fiscal
1:14:13environment four human societal
1:14:18agency human societies to the possiblest
1:14:22retain the agency
1:14:24to make the decisions and adapt to their
1:14:27environment and are scoring a very
1:14:29Dynamic
1:14:31role that these things play in a
1:14:35developmental
1:14:36process five the dynamic nature of the
1:14:40environment the possibilist argue that
1:14:43the environment is not a fixed entity
1:14:46the environment is dynamic and as a
1:14:48result the environment undergo changes
1:14:52that is influen
1:14:53by both natural and human induced
1:14:57factors six
1:15:00limitations without
1:15:04determination the Poss acknowledge that
1:15:06while the fiscal
1:15:08environment May impose certain
1:15:11limitations on possibilities that are
1:15:15available for human
1:15:16societies these and these the fiscal
1:15:19environment does not determine the
1:15:22overall outcome
1:15:24come seven acknowledgement of complexity
1:15:27and human agency in fact the possest
1:15:31recognize the intricacies of human
1:15:34environment interaction and this
1:15:36perspective normally emphasizes a
1:15:39significant the significant role that
1:15:42the human being plays in shaping the
1:15:44environment in shaping his culture and
1:15:47in shaping his
1:15:51history avoidance of
1:15:55assumptions the argument of the
1:15:57possibilist
1:15:59avoids them or prevents them from making
1:16:03assumptions about certain regions being
1:16:06inherently predisposed to conflict or
1:16:09poverty unlike what the
1:16:12determinist were associated with based
1:16:15on the fiscal
1:16:21characteristics the possibly acknowledge
1:16:24the role that
1:16:25politics policymaking and power May
1:16:29normally play in shaping human
1:16:31environment interaction particularly in
1:16:33relation to how resources are allocated
1:16:36how resources are distributed how
1:16:39resources are assessed and how even
1:16:42these
1:16:42resources are
1:16:45controlled and
1:16:47finally there's a
1:16:50rejection of the determination
1:16:54interpretation that has been offered by
1:16:58determinism in relation to the economy
1:17:01and social
1:17:02systems um to the possest there are no
1:17:06assumptions that specific economic or
1:17:10social systems are the only ones capable
1:17:14of
1:17:15developing a particular area so they
1:17:18they they
1:17:19reject the determinist determinist teas
1:17:23outrightly and these are just a few
1:17:27tenets of
1:17:29environmental
1:17:32possibilism I've intentionally left this
1:17:34particular um slide blank because if if
1:17:40you carefully look at
1:17:43possibilism as a direct opposite of
1:17:48determinism then you notice that the
1:17:51pros of of
1:17:54determinism when carefully analyzed can
1:17:58become the cuse of possibilism and
1:18:01possibilism and the cons of determinism
1:18:04can also become the pros of possibilism
1:18:07so I want to see how my students will be
1:18:10able
1:18:13to tease
1:18:15out the arguments in favor of
1:18:18possibilism and the argument against
1:18:21possibilism from
1:18:23that of
1:18:30determinism in this last set of
1:18:33Trilogy where I'll be delving into
1:18:36environmental
1:18:41probabilism I'll leave a lot of things
1:18:43un
1:18:46said however I expect my
1:18:51students to be able to clearly
1:18:54distinguish between environmental
1:18:57determinism environmental
1:19:00possibilism and
1:19:03environmental
1:19:05probabilism environmental probabilism is
1:19:08a
1:19:09concept and to some
1:19:12extent some Scholars argue that it
1:19:15emerged as a reaction to
1:19:18environmental determinism what does it
1:19:21normally perit
1:19:23it persists that how the fiscal
1:19:26environment can influence human
1:19:28societies and
1:19:29cultures the fiscal environment does not
1:19:32determine them in a fixed or absolute
1:19:35manner instead instead the fiscal
1:19:41environment emphasizes the likelihood or
1:19:45the probability of other contravening
1:19:48factors V based on environmental
1:19:51conditions
1:19:55so the probabilist they to the the
1:19:57probabilist they normally reject the the
1:20:00deter the extreme deterministic view
1:20:03that the fiscal environment rigidly
1:20:06determines human behavior and societal
1:20:12development the possibilist the
1:20:14probabilist the probabilism theory also
1:20:17suggest that the physcal environment
1:20:20influences human society's in a
1:20:23probabilistic manner which means that it
1:20:26increases the likelihood of certain
1:20:29outcome but does not
1:20:32dictate these
1:20:34outcomes unlike the determinist theories
1:20:38the probabilism theory normally
1:20:40acknowledges that there are other
1:20:43multiple factors that may
1:20:46influence the human being his livelihood
1:20:49and so on and so forth when GI certain
1:20:54environmental
1:20:58conditions probabilism also emphasizes
1:21:01human agency and to them the human being
1:21:05is is a crucial factor in this whole
1:21:08discussion so it recognizes that human
1:21:11decisions and actions play significant
1:21:14roles in shaping how societies respond
1:21:18to
1:21:19environmental
1:21:21conditions mental probabilism also takes
1:21:24into account the influence of culture
1:21:27and historical factors along the
1:21:30physical conditions or Geographic
1:21:33condition and as a result they view
1:21:36these factors as interacting factors
1:21:40that normally
1:21:42shape human
1:21:49societies probabilism also believes that
1:21:52the relationship between human beings
1:21:54and their environment is very
1:21:57Dynamic while the environment set
1:21:59certain probabilities human actions and
1:22:02so um societal decisions and choices to
1:22:06a larger extent shape the cause of human
1:22:10development an environmental probabilism
1:22:13also um emphasize on
1:22:16adaptability of the human being the
1:22:19human being can adapt the human being
1:22:21can modify and as a result they
1:22:23recognize that societies normally
1:22:26innovate societies normally adapt to
1:22:30varying environmental conditions rather
1:22:33than being
1:22:34constrained by these
1:22:36environmental
1:22:41conditions environmental probabilism
1:22:43also
1:22:44acknowledges that the influence of the
1:22:47fiscal
1:22:48environment can vary across different
1:22:51geographical regions and as a result it
1:22:54allows a more nuanced understanding of
1:22:58how environmental factors operate in
1:23:01specific Geographic
1:23:06context probabilism also rejects the
1:23:10extreme argument that is normally put
1:23:12forth by
1:23:15determinism and Asser that a direct or
1:23:19rigid causal link does not exist between
1:23:23the physical environment and human
1:23:26behavior civilizations and human
1:23:30development so in essence you note that
1:23:34um probabilism provides a more flexible
1:23:38and Nuance framework in understanding
1:23:41the complex relationship between human
1:23:43beings and their environment while
1:23:46recognizing how probabilistic these
1:23:49relationship can be and taking into into
1:23:53consideration other factors other than
1:23:56physical other than the physical
1:23:58environment or
1:24:00geographic conditions and from this
1:24:03brief explanation we can easily tease
1:24:06out arguments that can be that can be
1:24:09put forth in support of environmental
1:24:12probabilism and arguments that can be
1:24:14put forth in support
1:24:17of the
1:24:19other theories of human geography Rel
1:24:22relationships I just spoke
1:24:27about so as we finally draw the curtains
1:24:32down on the first part of this
1:24:35particular
1:24:37lecture what have I been trying to
1:24:40do at the beginning of the lecture I
1:24:42tried to place the whole discussion in
1:24:45context by looking at some
1:24:48interesting extracts from prominent
1:24:51Scholars who have attempted an
1:24:55explanation of the reasons or causes of
1:24:59the remarkable achievement of classical
1:25:01AR thingss from a
1:25:03geographical
1:25:07perspective we also looked at some
1:25:09theories of human geography
1:25:11relationships but we place part we play
1:25:14place particular attention on
1:25:17environmental determinism environmental
1:25:20possibilism and environmental
1:25:23probabilism what I'll been doing
1:25:26subsequently is to use these theories as
1:25:29a theoretical framework in
1:25:32explaining the reasons or the causes of
1:25:35the remarkable
1:25:37achievement from a geographical
1:25:41perspective and I would also tease out
1:25:43some lessons that developing nations
1:25:47like Ghana can
1:25:49learn
1:25:51from the
1:25:53geography of the Asian Greek
1:25:59civilization it has been an exciting
1:26:01Journey so far thank you very much for
1:26:04your attention I can't
1:26:07wait to see you again in part two stay
1:26:12tuned and watch
1:26:21out
1:26:36for

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