philosophy

[dniprovska]

Although the principle of unity and struggle of opposites is not applicable to particular (open) systems, this statement should not be viewed completely wrong. It is the case when the laws of the whole are not applicable to its parts. Our Universe being a closed system exists and develops due to the unity and struggle of the opposites, namely substance and energy. These two main components of the Being have quite opposite properties – substance has inherent tendency to concentration and stability while energy (the source of movement) tends to unlimited freedom and dissipation. The laws of Order pertaining to substance limit this freedom by uniting material elements with each other and retaining energy inside material structures. But finally the stream of energy breaks any order and continues dissipating in all directions. This “restless” nature of energy is the cause of entropy eroding things and systems and making them dead (unable to perform any function). To resist entropy a system should constantly add new components to its structure (i.e. attract additional sources of energy). Hence, evolution (gradual transition from lower to higher level of organisation) is a vital process as the higher is the level of organisation the less energy it wastes. The ability to extract, accumulate, preserve and transform energy is the main criterion for estimating the degree of progress. The higher is the level of organization of matter the less energy it wastes. The process related to formation of subatomic particles was accompanied by an enormous discharge of energy. The laws of gravitations (which became valid after recombination) accumulated atoms and molecules (together with energy they contain) into stellar objects; reproduction and evolution of living organisms requires much less energy losses then formation of new chemical elements (evolution of non-organic matter), as living organisms (in contrast to non-organic entities) are able to search for new sources of energy; the more developed is a socioeconomic structure, the less energy it wastes for production of goods and services, etc.
Emergence of Homo sapience and civilization is a necessary stage of general evolution of the Universe, as human beings are the only creatures that are able not only to search for and transform energy but to turn it into constructive channel for self-preservation and self-reproduction purposes, so only the constructive activity of Homo sapiens may prevent such dissipation of energy that leads to the death of the Universe. If energy completely eliminates the power of Order and scatters material objects along infinite space and disperses into infinitely small portions, the World will vanish. But if Order gets complete triumph over the Spirit of Inconsistency and locks it up into an exclusive circle, matter will fall into eternal lethargy that also means non-existence, as to exist is to create, to produce new forms, to undergo perpetual metamorphoses. Only perpetual struggle with variable success between these two opposites makes our Universe fruitful, i.e. alive.
 
The laws of dialectics: unity of opposites (that save energy for establishing ties and bonds between things and systems), transition from quantitative changes to qualitative (which eliminates the least viable elements) and negation of negation (that preserves the most functional elements and forms basis for new changes), are the principles of the most efficient way of self-organization of matter.