Entropy: An Analytical Framework in Strategic Studies(From Thermodynamic Principles to National Security Applications)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58298/842026861Keywords:
Entropy, Strategic Studies, National Security, International System, Thermodynamics, Dissipative StructuresAbstract
This study seeks to establish the concept of entropy as an analytical framework in strategic studies and national security, by tracing its intellectual trajectory from its thermodynamic origins to its contemporary applications in analyzing the dynamics of the international system. The study addresses a central problematic: How does the concept of entropy contribute to reformulating contemporary strategic thought, and what are its implications for national security approaches in an international environment characterized by complexity and uncertainty? The study hypothesizes that entropy, as a root metaphor, provides an analytical framework capable of explaining the dynamics of deconstruction and reconstruction in strategic systems beyond the explanatory capacity of traditional theories. The study concludes that the concept of entropy offers advanced analytical tools for understanding structural transformations in the international system, mechanisms of security deterioration, and possibilities for rebuilding order through dissipative structures.
References
Byeon, Jong Heon. 2005. "A Systems Approach to Entropy Change in Political Systems." Systems Research and Behavioral Science 22 (3): 223-231.
Cerny, Philip G., and Alex Prichard. 2017. "The New Anarchy: Globalisation and Fragmentation in World Politics." Journal of International Political Theory 13 (3): 378-394.
Finn, Carter Braxton. 1974. "Religion, Philosophy, and the Second Law of Thermodynamics." Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects, The College of William and Mary in Virginia. https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.21220/s2-mds4-tx43.
Galtung, Johan. 1967. "Entropy and the General Theory of Peace." Oslo: International Peace Research Institute.
Goncharoff, Paul. 2023. "A World of Entropy." LinkedIn, February 1, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-entropy-paul-goncharoff.
Harkavy, Robert E. 1997. "Images of the Coming International System." Orbis 41 (4): 569-590.
Herman, Mark. 1997. "Entropy-Based Warfare: A Unified Theory for Modeling the Revolution in Military Affairs." Joint Force Quarterly 16: 85-90.
Hitchins, Derek K. 2007. "Systems Philosophy." In Systems Engineering: A 21st Century Systems Methodology, 25-45. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.
Information Warfare: Occupation of Consciousness. 2018. Military-Strategic Analysis. Moscow: General Staff Academy.
Ishchenko, Ihor, Olena Bashkeieva, and Nataliia Zinukova. 2021. "Identification as an Indicator of Social Entropy under Globalization: Ukrainian Realities and International Context." Przegląd Strategiczny (Strategic Review) 14: 415-430.
Khanna, Parag. 2024. "The Coming Entropy of Our World Order." The National Interest, May 7, 2024. https://www.noemamag.com/the-coming-entropy-of-our-world-order/.
Kremer, Attay. 2024. "Dialectics of Entropy: Notes on the Topology of Time." Technophany 2 (2): 1-20.
Lebedeva, Marina M. 2016. "System of Political Organization of the World: Perfect Storm." MGIMO Review of International Relations 47 (2): 125-133.
Mantzaris, Alexander V., and George-Rafael Domenikos. 2023. "Exploring the Entropic Nature of Political Polarization." Nature Scientific Reports 13: 1-12.
Matthews, Mark. 2012. Transformational Public Policy: A New Strategy for Coping with Uncertainty and Risk. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Morozov, Viatcheslav. 2002. "Resisting Entropy, Discarding Human Rights: Romantic Realism and Securitization of Identity in Russia." Cooperation and Conflict 37 (4): 409-429.
Prigogine, Ilya. 1978. "Time, Structure and Fluctuations." Science 201 (4358): 777-785.
Prigogine, Ilya, and Isabelle Stengers. 1984. Order Out of Chaos: Man's New Dialogue with Nature. New York: Bantam Books.
Rifkin, Jeremy. 1980. Entropy: A New World View. New York: Viking Press.
Schweller, Randall L. 2010. "Entropy and the Trajectory of World Politics: Why Polarity Has Become Less Meaningful." Cambridge Review of International Affairs 23 (1): 145-163.
Schweller, Randall L. 2010. "The Future is Uncertain and the End is Always Near." Cambridge Review of International Affairs 24 (2): 175-184.
Schweller, Randall L. 2011. "Emerging Powers in an Age of Disorder." Global Governance 17 (3): 285-297.
Schweller, Randall L. 2014a. Maxwell's Demon and the Golden Apple: Global Discord in the New Millennium. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Schweller, Randall L. 2014b. "The Age of Entropy: Why the New World Order Won't Be Orderly." Foreign Affairs, June 16, 2014. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2014-06-16/age-entropy.
Styer, Daniel F. 2019. "Entropy as Disorder: History of a Misconception." The Physics Teacher 57: 454-458.
Tanner, Tony. 1971. "Apocalypse and Entropy in American Literature." In American Fiction 1950-1970, 90-110. New York: Harper & Row.
Trifkovic, Srdja. 2019. "A Century of Disorder." Chronicles. https://chroniclesmagazine.org/web/a-century-of-disorder/.
Wohlforth, William C. 2018. "Anarchy and World Order." In The Oxford Handbook of International Security, 80-95. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Woodward, Ashley. 2024. "Affirming Entropy." Technophany 2 (2): 10-25.
Yavlinsky, Grigory. 2021. "Political Entropy: Digital Technologies and the Globalization of Disorder." Economic Issues 5: 14-25.
Zencey, Eric. 1986. "Entropy as Root Metaphor." Dissertation, Claremont Graduate School. University Microfilms International.
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 علي حسين حميد، صفاء صبحي حمودي
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the creative commons attribution (CC BY) 4.0 international license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, and to alter, transform, or build upon the material, including for commercial use, providing the original author is credited.
