this post was submitted on 27 Sep 2025
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Yup, natural world is full of examples. I find i can be useful to contrast material dialectics with thermodynamics as well. Both describe dynamic systems that are in constant flux, where change is governed by the rules that emerge from the resolution of internal imbalances.
In thermodynamics, energy gradients act as the engine of change. Heat flows from a hot object to a cold one, pressurized gas expands into a vacuum, and so on. The flow is driven by a difference in energy potential, and continues until the system reaches equilibrium. In material dialectics, it's the opposing forces that act as energy gradients within the system. The contradictions between them create a state of tension and acting as selection pressures, pushing the system to evolve into a new state where the tension is resolved.
In both frameworks, gradual, quantitative changes accumulate until they trigger a qualitative transformation. Classic examples like water reaching a tipping point of turning into steam when heated are an intuitive way to explain transformation of quantity into quality. It's a clear case of an old system being negated, and a new one with a different qualitative character emerging.
That part was really emphasized historically, which kind of hid the underlying dialectics. If you only focus on the "synthesis" part, nature seems static. But now, new research is bringing out thermodynamics dialectical nature with the attention shifting towards non-equilibrium thermodynamics. I like, how such an old field can still change and grow. By the way, they are also shifting to new definitions of entropy as observer dependent.
That's a good point, cause synthesis simply evolves the dialectic further. It doesn't become a stasis. That's the whole negation of negation business. Once a new state is reached, then new contradictions emerge and the system continues to evolve. The concept of entropy being continuously reframed as out understanding of the universe deepens kind of acts as a nice allegory here. :)