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Updated: Jul 19, 2025

Perspectives on Neuroscience
Published on: July 31, 2007
Theories of disorder and order, energy and information, in sociological thought
1Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Abstract:
There has always been a close relation between thermodynamic theory and sociological theory, although they repeatedly part company and later rejoin. I discuss some of the most important ways in which the two have been in contact, focusing on the potential passage from theories of energy to theories of information and vice versa. I close by discussing how a closer engagement with classic thermodynamics may continue to be fruitful for sociological theorizing. This article is part of the theme issue 'Thermodynamics 2.0: Bridging the natural and social sciences (Part 2)'.
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