The Entropic Pathways of Civilization: A Unified Thermodynamic and Systemic Framework for Understanding Earth’s Current Crisis

The increasing complexity and energy demands of human civilization have accelerated systemic entropy generation, aligning with the theoretical constraints of the Great Filter hypothesis. This paper synthesizes the Earth Entropy Flow Great Filter Model (EEF-GFM), the Entropy Escalation Framework (EEF), and climate-based thermodynamic analysis to explore the relationship between entropy, systemic collapse, and civilizational survival. By examining empirical temperature trends, societal disorder, and localized entropy hotspots, the research highlights how entropy gradients drive instability and energy inefficiency within societies. It further investigates the paradoxical potential of anthropogenic warming to contribute to long-term thermodynamic rebalancing while simultaneously increasing systemic fragility. This integrative analysis proposes future research directions, practical entropy management interventions, and interdisciplinary collaboration strategies essential for navigating the Great Filter and enhancing civilization’s resilience within a thermodynamic framework. The study advocates for entropy-centric systemic risk modeling as a cornerstone of sustainability science and policy in the Anthropocene.