A basic visual of "social entropy", i.e. entropy applied sociologically, namely that from the sum of all the entropy (dQ/T) differentials going into or out of a system, where "a quantity of heat absorbed by a changing body is positive, and a quantity of heat given off by it is negative, for cyclical processes where the changes occur in a non-reversible manner" (Clausius inequality, 1865), must equal the negative of the equivalence value of all uncompensated transformations (-N), per 1856 definition of entropy, or be less than or equal to zero, per 1865 definition of entropy.

“To the layman, the second law of thermodynamics states that over time systems become more ‘disordered’. Does sociology have anything to say about this? Do societies tend to become more disordered over time as well?”

— NWH (2013), PhysicsForums.com post (Ѻ), Feb 26

“The application of these ideas [of second law energy degradation] to political and social questions, among which of course comes university centralization, is not far to seek. What would the world of men be without what we may call ‘social entropy’? Everyone would then be his own farmer, baker, butcher, brewer, banker, boot-black, &c.—all would be at the same dead level [see: heat death]—no possible help from one to his neighbor, even if it could be required; no distribution of tasks, and therefore (in every department) that endless waste which is inevitable in operations conducted on a petty scale. No possibility of that mutual reliance and assistance which forms the friendships we delight in, none of that variety which is the real charm of life—no idea which would not simultaneously strike every unit of the race—no news, no books—nothing but sameness! None of the pleasure of being able to assist struggling worth, none of gratitude for generous aid. Nay, we might pursue it further. No difference of temper, character, tendencies, age, sex—a state lower than the lowest known in vegetation; but here the end must come. Or, to take a somewhat different point of view (though the basis is absolutely the same, for oscillation implies entropy), what if everything were always at its average value? Never absolutely either fair or rainy weather, clear or cloudy, calm or stormy, hot or cold; but a dead average. Never either absolutely day or night; no tides, no seasons; men never either absolutely awake nor absolutely asleep—continually in a semi-lethargic state— half happy, hall discontented; half playful, half serious— neither running, walking, standing, sitting, nor lying, but a perpetual average. No catastrophes such as a birth, a marriage, or a death —no distinction between man and man—nothing of that variety which is the law of nature. Eternal, hideous, intolerable sameness, by necessity devoid of all capacity for action: the human race turned into a set of Nurnberg toy-solders, all cast in the same mould, of the same base material, and all similarly bedaubed from the same glaring paint-pots, and moving on the same lazy-tongs with the same relative velocities. No one to advise you in a difficulty, no one in whose superior strength of mind or body you could confide; nothing around you except what you feel must be but the image of yourself (as you will early have learned introspectively to look at it)—mean, sordid, and groveling! No one whom you can respect, none to trust—all, like yourself, vile and despicable! II ere I would gladly say—' Enough of such horrors,' and quit the disgusting theme. But, unfortunately, the application has still to come. It will be found very pertinent to many things which have been of late evolved from the innermost consciousness of statecraft, and hailed, with altogether inexplicable delight, by what seemed (till lately) to be at least a numerical majority of the representatives of our countrymen.”

“Where productive energy persists for some time, a factor which Unwin calls ‘human entropy’ comes into play. Human entropy is the inherent tendency, manifested as soon as the suitable social conditions are created, towards increased refinement and accuracy. ‘No society can display productive social energy unless a new generation inherits a social system under which sexual opportunity is reduced to a minimum. If such a system be preserved a richer and yet richer tradition will be created, refined by human entropy’.”