This blog post examines whether the decrease in energy according to the entropy law can truly lead to the end of society and civilization.
Jeremy Rifkin’s ‘Entropy’ is a book that applies the entropy law—the second law of thermodynamics—not only to the scientific realm but to society as a whole to develop his argument. Examining the entropy law Rifkin describes and his claims, he asserts that this law is not limited to purely physical phenomena but applies equally to the society and civilization in which we live.
Jeremy Rifkin defines the entropy principle as “the total energy of the universe remains constant, while total entropy always increases.” To put it more simply, Rifkin states, “The increase in entropy signifies a gradual decrease in usable energy.” Consequently, Jeremy Rifkin adds, “Every time an event occurs anywhere in the world, the world’s energy is consumed, and the total entropy increases.” From this perspective, he warns that if civilization continues to develop in the current mechanistic and resource-consuming manner, we will ultimately reach the final equilibrium state of heat death and perish. Therefore, he argues we must abandon reliance on a mechanistic worldview and adopt a new one that consumes less energy and uses it more efficiently.
Rifkin extends the concept of ‘energy’ to apply the law of entropy to various social phenomena. He develops his argument by considering not only the thermal or electrical energy we commonly think of, but also the energy inherent in costs or fuel as a form of energy. While this approach is useful for analyzing energy, it has limitations in its lack of consideration for qualitative aspects. For example, he explains that people leave cities because the large amount of energy invested in the urban environment ultimately increases the city’s entropy. He views urban crime and pollution as part of this problem. However, in reality, more people are flocking to large cities, enjoying the convenience and diverse opportunities of urban life. What Rifkin overlooks is that the appeal of large cities can be a qualitatively more important factor.
While Rifkin’s entropy analysis provides a clear direction, it also has the limitation of failing to explain the time required for the process. That is, according to his analysis, if the current pattern of development continues, we will eventually reach a state of heat death, but the exact timing cannot be predicted. This is because the entropy law provides the direction of change but fails to explain the specific speed or process by which that change occurs. Therefore, even if his argument is correct, the actual time of reaching thermic collapse could be millions of years in the future. Even if the current worldview persists, the time leading to destruction could be much longer than we imagine.
Rifkin also criticizes the mechanistic worldview, arguing that it accelerates the increase in entropy rather than fostering progress. However, technological advancement does not merely accelerate energy consumption. Rather, thanks to advanced technology, we can now obtain new forms of energy more efficiently. For instance, oil deep underground, inaccessible in the past due to underdeveloped drilling technology, can now be extracted. New energy sources like nuclear power have also become viable. This signifies that energy is not merely consumed but can be acquired and processed in new forms. Such technological progress demonstrates that the mechanistic worldview is not solely destructive, as it can simultaneously delay both energy consumption and the increase in entropy.
A key aspect of Rifkin’s argument regarding the future direction of energy use is the necessity of shifting from consumable energy sources like oil to renewable energies such as solar, geothermal, and wind power. This also forms the core of the new worldview he proposes. Indeed, thanks to technological progress, we now have access to these renewable energies and are further researching ways to utilize them more efficiently. Thus, technological advancement has opened the possibility of securing more usable energy while simultaneously suppressing entropy increase.
Therefore, Rifkin’s assertion that the mechanistic worldview simply increases entropy and leads to destruction reveals that he has overlooked certain aspects. While energy consumption is increasing, we are simultaneously exploring sustainable development paths through renewable energy. Considering this, Rifkin’s argument is only partially applicable due to the limitations of its time. Current technological progress and the development of renewable energy hold the potential to offer a far more positive future than the outcome his theory suggests.
In conclusion, Jeremy Rifkin’s ‘Entropy’ gained attention as an attempt to apply scientific laws to social and cultural phenomena. His entropy theory offered a new perspective on how we handle and consume energy, thereby highlighting the importance of renewable energy. However, his overreliance on the entropy law to explain all societal problems revealed a flaw in overlooking qualitative factors. While his call for efficient energy use and reduced waste is agreeable, the assertion that a mechanistic worldview is inherently destructive warrants reconsideration. Technological progress actually enriches our lives and opens opportunities to explore sustainable energy.
