The Question of Determinism in Relations Between Natural Environment and Society

Abstract

The paper analyses the main tendencies existing in the relation between natural environment and the moves of society. The author stresses the fact that the solution of the problem has been hindered up to now by two extremes: the geographical determinism and indeterminism. Geographical determinism mostly concentrated upon its historical importance and social function, meanwhile gnoseological analysis was completely missing. The analysis - carried out by the author - shows that the seemingly definite term may indicate several different kinds of determinism, from mechanical causality to some very uncertain and problematic conditioning. The fact that geographical determinism cannot hold out theoretically is no reason why the scientific determinism should be completely substituted by indeterminism as was the practice recently. Indeterminism is only the other extreme. Only recently, in unfavourable reflected in the economic practice of the socialistic states. Through the analysis of indeterministic tendencies, the author in several geographical articles shows that this conception is not dialectical at all, and gives a clear definition of the relation between the society and nature. The only acceptable supposition is the one based upon the dialectical- materialistic philosophy. It highly surpasses both above-mentioned extremes and enables the only real, i. e. not one-sided solution.