Energeticism

Energeticism, also called energism or energetics[a] (German: Energetik),[1] is a superseded theory in science that posits that energy is the ultimate element of physical reality. Energeticism was developed during the end of the 19th century by Wilhelm Ostwald, Georg Helm and Pierre Duhem. It was also promoted by physicist Ernst Mach who opposed atomic theory, though his full commitment to it was sometimes ambiguous.[2] Energetiscism attempted to substitute the hypothesis of atoms and molecules by energy relations.[3]

Ludwig Boltzmann and Max Planck constantly rebutted the idea of energeticism[3] in favor of atomic theory. The program of energeticism faded away in the 20th century with the experimental confirmation of the existence of atoms.


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  1. ^ Deltete, Robert (1999). "Helm and Boltzmann: Energetics at the Lübeck". Synthese. 119 (1/2): 45–68. doi:10.1023/A:1005287003138.
  2. ^ Blackmore, John T. (1972). Ernst Mach; His Work, Life, and Influence. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-01849-5.
  3. ^ a b Blackburn, Simon (2016). The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-873530-4.