What is an Anentropist?

In 1865 Rudolph Clausius gave a name to a process that had long been at work in the universe. He called it entropy using the Greeks words “ἐν” (meaning “in”) and “τροπή” (meaning “turning” or “change”).  The paper he wrote on the subject essentially defined what are now considered the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics.

First Law: The energy of the universe is constant.

Second Law: The entropy of the universe tends toward maximum.

The gist of this is that we live in a universe which is dying. No new energy can be introduced. The temperature of most of the universe is already at absolute zero and so the rest of it, the warm parts where we live, will eventually reach equilibrium with the vast black cold.  Physicist will rebel at the simplicity of this explanation. They’ll blather on about baryons and such in their theories about the Heat Death of the Universe. But if there is such a thing as Scientific Consensus, the idea of the Big Freeze is one to which most of them consent. Read about it here if you don’t believe me.

So it’s inevitable, right? In 10 to the 100th power years from now, it’s all over. If the theories are correct there is nothing we can do to stop it.

But entropy also occurs on a smaller scale in systems that are less expansive than the universe. This is where the Anentropist can have an effect. In these more compact systems the First Law is not a limitation since additional energy can be introduced from outside.

The word “anentropist” utilizes another Greek word “ἀνά” which means “up” or, especially in composite words, “against.” Anentropists are thus those who are against entropy. That it, people who introduce new energy into systems which are decaying toward disorder and chaos.

Anentropists are doomed to fail but that only makes the calling more noble.

Are you an Anentropist? Would you like to become one?

If so then Passionately Stoic is the site for you.