eksotermilism

Eksotermilism is a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that treats social, technological, and ecological systems as open thermodynamic entities, emphasizing energy and matter exchange with their environment. Proponents argue that energy throughput, entropy production, and the externalization of costs shape the development of institutions, technologies, and cultures, and that disparities in access to energetic resources map onto social inequality and ecological impact. The term is used primarily in speculative or analytical discourse rather than as a fixed doctrine.

Origins and scope: The term appeared in late 20th-century academic circles, drawing on systems theory, ecological economics, and thermodynamics. It is not attributed to a single founder; rather, it circulated in interdisciplinary journals and think pieces that seek to reinterpret growth, efficiency, and sustainability through energy-flows metaphors. Core concepts include open systems, energy throughput, entropy production, and feedback loops, with an emphasis on externalized costs and the ability of a system to reorganize after perturbations. Applications have been described in urban planning, organizational design, and environmental policy, where models map energy flows to outcomes such as resilience, efficiency, and equity.

Critiques and reception: Critics warn that eksotermilism can overextend physical laws to social phenomena, leading to vagueness or technocratic bias. Others argue it provides useful heuristics for analyzing sustainability challenges, but requires careful operationalization and empirical grounding. Related approaches include general systems theory, ecological economics, and resilience thinking. Notable discussions appear in philosophy, urban studies, and environmental science literature, with debates about the degree to which thermodynamic concepts can illuminate social change. See also: thermodynamics, entropy, systems theory, ecological economics, sustainability.