The Science and Philosophy of the "Thermodynamic School" of Evolution
This paper was written by Alfred Lotka and published in 1945. It provides the longest published argument for his principle of maximum energy flux. In this paper, he also uses this principle to critically evaluate the behavior of human beings, including that evidenced in World War II. Alfred Lotka. The law of Evolution as a…
This paper was written by Alfred Lotka and published in 1922. In this paper, Lotka argues that the principle of natural selection is a physical principle that applies to all systems that develop out of equilibrium. Consequently, he concluded that this principle should be considered “as a third law of thermodynamics (or a fourth, if…
This book was written by Friedrich Nietzsche and published in 1886. Among many other things, it contains Nietzsche’s famous argument for his concept of the will to power (aphorism 36), his claim that living things seek to discharge their strength rather than just survive (13), his description of life growing “not out of any morality…
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…
This paper was written by Alfred Lotka and published in 1922. In this short essay, the mathematician, physical chemist, and statistician, Alfred Lotka first describes his principle of maximum energy flux, which he argues guides evolutionary development. Alfred Lotka. 1922a. Contribution to the energetics of evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 8/6:147–151.