Socio-natural antientropic potential: the role of economy and innovations

Melnyk, Leonid

doi:10.1007/s10668-020-00730-0

Published: 30 April 2020

Socio-natural antientropic potential: the role of economy and innovations

Leonid Melnyk ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5145-7292¹

Environment, Development and Sustainability volume 23, pages 3520–3542 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

The self-organization processes of nature are analyzed. The increasing production of negative entropy (order) by the open stationary (non-equilibrium) systems on earth accompanies entropy production, which complies with the second law of thermodynamics. The analysis of the systemic nature of the self-organization processes shows that ecosystems and social structures form a multi-level network. This multi-level network is the result of a unified socio-natural antientropic potential (AEP). Each of the core functional elements of AEP (biological organisms, public associations) reduces entropy and increases order. At the same time, the core elements contribute to negative entropy from the external environment and export the accumulated entropy (disorder). During natural and social evolution, new levels of AEP appear. Natural selection leads to more structure and better individual links. Revolutionary AEP transformations occur through phase transitions. The AEP forming systems change their parameters, abruptly and move to a new state. Innovations in nature and society lead to phase transitions. Humanity faces another phase of the transformation of the III and IV industrial revolutions. Its trend (attractor) is caused by the real need to dematerialize the industrial metabolism of the socioeconomic system, the impact of which exceeds the carrying capacity of the biosphere. This paper shows that the primary vector of the modern AEP transformation is the transition from the material and information functions, ensuring the biological needs of man to the functions providing the information needs of the social development.

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Acknowledgements

The publication contains the results of research conducted within the framework of the research project “Development of the Fundamental Bases of the Reproductive Mechanism of Socio-Economic Development during the Third Industrial Revolution” (# 0118U003578). The publication contains the results of research realized within the framework of the scientific research work “Modeling the Eco-Innovations Transfer in the “Enterprise-Region-State” System: Impact on Ukraine's Economic Growth and Security” (#0119U100364).

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Department of Economics, Entrepreneurship and Business Administration, Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine
Leonid Melnyk

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Melnyk, L. Socio-natural antientropic potential: the role of economy and innovations. Environ Dev Sustain 23, 3520–3542 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00730-0

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Received: 14 November 2019
Accepted: 10 April 2020
Published: 30 April 2020
Issue Date: March 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00730-0

Keywords

Entropy
Negative entropy
Antientropic potential
Phase transition
Open stationary system
Socioeconomic development
Socio-natural potential

JEL Classification
А10
А13