--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The laws of thermodynamics restrict all…" description: "\"The laws of thermodynamics restrict all technologies, man's as well as nature's, and apply to all economic systems whether capitalist, communist, socia..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/herman-e-daly-31591_amount_the-laws-of-thermodynamics-restrict-all_1039042.jpg" --- # The laws of thermodynamics restrict all technologies… ![“The laws of thermodynamics restrict all technologies, man's as well as nature's, and apply to all economic systems whether capitalist, communist, socialist, or fascist. We do not create or destroy (produce or consume) anything in a physical sense- we merely transform or rearrange. And the…” quote by Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/herman-e-daly-31591_amount_the-laws-of-thermodynamics-restrict-all_1039042.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/herman-e-daly-31591_amount_the-laws-of-thermodynamics-restrict-all_1039042.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2f9/herman-e-daly-31591_amount_the-laws-of-thermodynamics-restrict-all_1039042.jpg) > “The laws of thermodynamics restrict all technologies, man's as well as nature's, and apply to all economic systems whether capitalist, communist, socialist, or fascist. We do not create or destroy (produce or consume) anything in a physical sense- we merely transform or rearrange. And the inevitable cost of arranging greater order in one part of the system (the human economy) is creating a more than offsetting amount of disorder elsewhere (the natural environment).” [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Thermodynamic laws limit all technologies and economies, causing disorder elsewhere when order is increased. **In simple terms:** Physical laws limit tech and economies, creating waste elsewhere. Key Takeaway Consider ecological costs of economic growth. Themes environment economics physics systems theory Mood concerned analytical Type philosophical environmental When to use this quote - policy making - business strategy - educational curricula Key Concepts entropy sustainability resource limits Questions to Reflect On - How can we design growth that respects thermodynamics? - What policies reduce environmental disorder? A Different Perspective May oversimplify complex economic dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Arranging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arranging/) [Capitalist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalist/) [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Cost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cost/) [Creating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/creating/) [Disorder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disorder/) [Economic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic/) [Economic system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-system/) [Economic systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economic-systems/) [Economics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economics/) [Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/economy/) [Elsewhere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elsewhere/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Fascists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fascists/) [Greater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greater/) [Human Economy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-economy-1982451/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Inevitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inevitable/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws Thermodynamics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-thermodynamics-319435/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-environment/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Produce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/produce/) [Socialist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socialist/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Thermodynamics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermodynamics/) [Thermodynamics Restrict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thermodynamics-restrict-2419016/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) ## Related quotes > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) [J. Willard Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-willard-gibbs/) > [The laws of thermodynamics may be regarded as particular cases of more general laws, applicable to all such states of matter as constitute Energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-macquorn-rankine/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-may-be-regarded-as-particular-cases-of/) [William John Macquorn Rankine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-macquorn-rankine/) > [“Ironically, the serious study of the impossible has frequently opened up rich and entirely unexpected domains of science. For example, over the centuries the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/ironically-the-serious-study-of-the-impossible-has-frequently-opened/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [It is possible to express the laws of thermodynamics in the form of independent principles , deduced by induction from the facts of observation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-john-macquorn-rankine/it-is-possible-to-express-the-laws-of-thermodynamics-in-the-form-of/) [William John Macquorn Rankine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-john-macquorn-rankine/) > [It reflects a prevailing myth that production technology is no more amenable to human judgment or social interests than the laws of thermodynamics, atomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-commoner/it-reflects-a-prevailing-myth-that-production-technology-is-no-more/) [Barry Commoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-commoner/) > [Regarding the Laws of Thermodynamics: "(1) You can't win, (2) you can't break even, and (3) you can't get out of the game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-overbye/regarding-the-laws-of-thermodynamics-1-you-can-t-win-2-you-can-t/) [Dennis Overbye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-overbye/) > [“One, two, three, four, we don't want your fuckin' laws of thermodynamics!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rakoff/one-two-three-four-we-don-t-want-your-fuckin-laws-of-thermodynamics/) [David Rakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rakoff/) > [In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-castellaneta/in-this-house-we-obey-the-laws-of-thermodynamics/) [Dan Castellaneta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-castellaneta/) > [Entropy is one of the laws of thermodynamics. It's a physical law that says everything in nature is moving from order to disorder. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-foreman/entropy-is-one-of-the-laws-of-thermodynamics-it-s-a-physical-law-that/) [Jon Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-foreman/) > [When you look at the growth of the human economy and its expected growth in the twenty-first century, I expect health will be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/when-you-look-at-the-growth-of-the-human-economy-and-its-expected/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [I believe we can build a human economy where people are the bottom line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-byanyima/i-believe-we-can-build-a-human-economy-where-people-are-the-bottom/) [Winnie Byanyima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-byanyima/) > [Instead of presiding over an economic system that panders to big business and a wealthy elite, a more human economy must be established which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winnie-byanyima/instead-of-presiding-over-an-economic-system-that-panders-to-big/) [Winnie Byanyima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winnie-byanyima/) > [Help is dangerous because it exists outside the human economy: the only payment for help is gratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/help-is-dangerous-because-it-exists-outside-the-human-economy-the/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [... placing economic activity in the context of the whole earth requires attention to the question of scale. Bigger is obviously not better, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-cobb/placing-economic-activity-in-the-context-of-the-whole-earth-requires/) [John B. Cobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-cobb/) > [“Three laws governing black hole changes were thus found, but it was soon noticed that something unusual was going on. If one merely replaced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-barrow/three-laws-governing-black-hole-changes-were-thus-found-but-it-was/) [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) ## More by Herman E. Daly > [The individualism of current economic theory is manifest in the purely self-interested behaviour it generally assumes. It has no real place for fairness, malevolence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/the-individualism-of-current-economic-theory-is-manifest-in-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Nonrenewable resources should be exploited, but at a rate equal to the creation of renewable substitutes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/nonrenewable-resources-should-be-exploited-but-at-a-rate-equal-to-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [If nonsatiety were the natural state of human nature then aggressive want-stimulating advertising would not be necessary, nor would the barrage of novelty aimed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/if-nonsatiety-were-the-natural-state-of-human-nature-then-aggressive/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Malthus has been buried many times, and Malthusian scarcity with him. But as Garrett Hardin remarked, anyone who has to be reburied so often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/malthus-has-been-buried-many-times-and-malthusian-scarcity-with-him/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [There is something fundamentally wrong in treating the Earth as if it were a business in liquidation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/there-is-something-fundamentally-wrong-in-treating-the-earth-as-if-it/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Growth chestnuts have to be placed on the unyielding anvil of biophysical realities and then crushed with the hammer of moral argument.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/growth-chestnuts-have-to-be-placed-on-the-unyielding-anvil-of/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [But the macro-economy is not the Whole. It too is a Part, a part of the larger natural economy, the ecosphere, and its growth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/but-the-macro-economy-is-not-the-whole-it-too-is-a-part-a-part-of-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Even if we could grow our way out of the crisis and delay the inevitable and painful reconciliation of virtual and real wealth, there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/even-if-we-could-grow-our-way-out-of-the-crisis-and-delay-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [While the invisible hand looks after the private sector, the invisible foot kicks the public sector to pieces.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/while-the-invisible-hand-looks-after-the-private-sector-the-invisible/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [The problem with the World Bank has to do with development - the spreading of Western over-consumption worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/the-problem-with-the-world-bank-has-to-do-with-development-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Presumably, technology has made man increasingly independent of his environment. But, in fact, technology has merely substituted nonrenewable resources for renewables, which is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/presumably-technology-has-made-man-increasingly-independent-of-his/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Environmental degradation is an iatrogenic disease induced by economic physicians who treat the basic malady of unlimited wants by prescribing unlimited growth… Yet one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/environmental-degradation-is-an-iatrogenic-disease-induced-by/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [Reproduction is more pleasurable than death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/reproduction-is-more-pleasurable-than-death/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [We need an economics fit for purpose in a finite and entropic world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/we-need-an-economics-fit-for-purpose-in-a-finite-and-entropic-world/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) > [The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-e-daly/the-economy-is-a-wholly-owned-subsidiary-of-the-environment-not-the/) [Herman E. Daly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) [Explore all 16 Herman E. Daly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-e-daly/) ## More Amount quotes > [Dating someone on the opposite end of the happy spectrum teaches you an incredible amount of patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-pine/dating-someone-on-the-opposite-end-of-the-happy-spectrum-teaches-you/) [Chris Pine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-pine/) > [When the amount of change externally exceeds the amount of change internally, the end is in sight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-welch/when-the-amount-of-change-externally-exceeds-the-amount-of-change/) [Jack Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-welch/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [It's a great story for us whenever an entrepreneur makes a crazy amount of money and we get to tell the world about it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-lacy/it-s-a-great-story-for-us-whenever-an-entrepreneur-makes-a-crazy/) [Sarah Lacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-lacy/) > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [The amount you give isn't important. 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