It's human nature to want to explain the unexplainable, to understand how and why things happen. Theories ranging from evolution to dark matter to cognitive behavior seek to explain how certain aspects of the world work. In the same way, geographers seek to understand exactly how the world came to be; how the environment and society interact and influence each other to shape the Earth. In the famous article “Guns, Germs, and Steel,” author Jared Diamond (1999) describes how the environment in which a society forms determines exactly what type of culture will emerge. His work, using the theory of environmental determinism, asserts that nature explicitly defines the culture that results from it. Although both environmental determinism and Diamond's thesis were widely accepted and famous early on, many modern geographers see many significant flaws not only in Diamond's paper, but also in the theory itself, which call into question question the validity of the theory. Environmental determinism has roots of injustice that lead to justifying inequalities and also does not fully explain the relationships between environments and societies. Although very influential as a springboard for geographical theory, environmental determinism is now considered a theory of the past. When examining the beliefs of the theory, incomplete explanations, reinforced by contradictory examples, are discernible, and thus call into question the legitimacy of the theory in modern geography.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay To understand the criticisms of how environmental determinism does not fully explain the environmental and societal relationship, it is important to recognize the roots and fundamental beliefs of the theory. . The theory of environmental determinism dates back to the classical and medieval periods and then found wide attention in the late 20th century. The basic thesis started from the idea that the physical environment was the independent variable that shapes the dependent variable of human nature. Jared Diamond's book, Guns, Germs, and Steel (1999), resurrected this theory. Unlike alternative theories that follow Diamond's work, such as possibilism or cultural ecology which identify other possible natural and cultural interactions, environmental determinism has an extremely strict view, leaving no room for other explanations. than the deterministic theory. Diamond uses Polynesian society in his "natural experiment" subjects to show the effects of environmental determinism in a case study. He explains that different Polynesian populations, with the same cultural origins spread across the region's islands, and that after a while, "Polynesian island societies differed greatly in their economic specialization, social complexity, political organization, and products." material, linked to differences in population size and density, linked in turn to differences in surface area, fragmentation and isolation, as well as possibilities for subsistence and intensification of food production", but all these differences developed “as environmentally related variations in a single ancestral society.” Diamond argues that his case study is one of multiple examples that demonstrate how environmental diversification directly predicts the emergence of human society. To seeflaws in Diamond's article and the theory on the issue, it is crucial to first take a close look at the idea itself, before diving into the negative aspects and possible incomplete ideas that many find modern geographers. famous play and the theory of environmental determinism, questions arise about the controversial roots of the theory and the missing elements of both Diamond's natural experiment and the theory. Many modern geographers see troubling roots in this theory; It is a theory that many believe is used to justify racism, colonialism and imperialism. In “Geography, Empire, and Environmental Determinism” by Stephen Frenkel, the author describes the role of the United States in Panama's path to industrialization and the influence of environmental determinism on development. Frenkel describes environmental determinism as "a plausible interpretation of American actions and precisions...as a discourse that has served to legitimize imperialism and racism." Many modern geographers consider links to racism and colonialism to have no place in the modern world. Beyond the unpalatable roots of environmental determinisms, many see flaws in Diamond's argument, citing his lack of attention to "human consciousness, desire, political power and the formation of culture as determinants in the distribution of wealth and power. This missing piece leads many geographers to search for alternative theories that provide a more complete and updated explanation. Many believe that environmental determinism does not take into account the influences of human thought or culture, nor the powerful effects that society can have on the environment. Although the theory has been highly influential and valued in the past, "decades of research have demonstrated that human-environment relationships are a complex of intertwined influences and boundaries that resist single-point causal correlations." postman ". The combination of the theory's objectionable past use, coupled with disregard for human effects, leads many to view the theory as an idea of ​​the past, but not the present. The lack of validity of the theory of environmental determinism is evident in many modern examples of countries thriving in environments that determinists would view as leading to less advanced and growing societies. Much like Diamond's views in his article, author Ricardo Hausmann's article "Prisoners of Geography" echoes Diamond's ideas, explaining that the environment in which a society exists will determine the economy of that society. Both authors' strong opinions come into question when we take a closer look at some potential counterexamples like India, a country whose population and development are skyrocketing. The Indian economy is growing extremely rapidly, quickly becoming one of the fastest growing economies in the world, but India's extreme economic growth runs counter to Diamond and Hausmann's essential ideas, as it is of a country located on the equator with immense desert and mountainous areas. this should have resulted in a country in difficulty. India's extreme climate and geographic location suggest a much less advanced community if the two authors' theses on environmental determinism are to be believed. Yet India is quite the opposite, quickly becoming a major power on the world stage. Many other countries appear to contradict Diamond's thesis, not just India, and question how his thesis applies to the modern world. Additionally, theories..