The Science and Philosophy of the "Thermodynamic School" of Evolution
This book was written by H. T. Odum and Elisabeth C. Odum and published in 1976. The first paragraph of the Introduction states: “Everything is based on energy. Energy is the source and control of all things, all values, and all the actions of human beings and nature. This simple truth, long known to scientists…
This article was written by H. T. Odum and published in 1973. In it Odum describes how energy and the maximum power principle relate to economic development. Of particular interest, he describes how, in times when there are limited available resources, the maximum power principle leads societies to shift to more efficiency and diverse processes…
This paper was written by H. T. Odum and published in 1977. It provides a detailed analysis of the relation between moral values, energy, and the maximum power principle. It describes the difference between the moral values in social systems that are growing in power and those that, as a result of a limited amount…
This book was written by H. T. Odum and published in 1971. It was the third book written by Odum. It provides a comprehensive picture of how his unique view of systems ecology, including the maximum power principle and his energy systems language, applies to ecological, electrical, economic, and political systems. He critically analyzes moral…
This paper was written by H. T. Odum and Richard C. Pinkerton and published in 1955. In this pivotal paper, Odum and Pinkerton argue that there is a tradeoff between efficiency and speed that enables physical and biological system to maximize useful power output. This tradeoff is influenced by the constraints on natural systems, like…