S. A. PODOLINSKYI IN THE ENERGETIC INTERPRETATION OF THE EVOLUTION OF NATURE AND SOCIETY

Abstract

Serhii Andriyovych Podolinskyi (1850—1891) — a researcher of nature, natural philosopher, doctor, public figure and publicist, lived a short life. Still with the main works of S. A. Podolynskyi is almost unknown to the scientific community. Great Ukrainian scientist V. I. Vernadskyi was inspired by the scientific works and ideas of S. A. Podolinskyi. And the characteristics of S. A. Podolinskyi as a “forgotten scientific innovator”, which was given to him by V. I. Vernadskyi at the beginning of the 20th century, remains largely fair even today. The article was prepared for the 150th anniversary of the “energy concept” of S. A. Podolinskyi and dedicated to the history of his work “Work and its relationship to the distribution of energy” (1880). A number of issues of the distribution of solar energy in the universe are covered. The data on the value of S. A. Podolinskyi in the energetic interpretation of the development of nature and society. Analysis of each section of the article by S. A. Podolinskyi in the context of the impact of work on the distribution of solar energy on the Earth’s surface. Ideas of S. A. Podolinskyi, presented in his work “Man’s work and its attitude to the distribution of energy” testify not only to the priority of domestic science on many issues of natural science, the relevance of which is realized only in our time, but also retain methodological value in the world context. In the work of S. A. Podolinskyi’s reader will find an example of the formulation and approach to solving an interesting and necessary problem in the scientific field, which are characteristic of outstanding and original scientists. The most important is the opening of S. A. Podolinskyi that the development of living organisms on the Earth’s surface occurs under the influence of solar energy. That is why the name S. A. Podolynskyi is deservedly mentioned among the predecessors of V. I. Vernadskyi, who studied the energetics of living matter and the formation of the doctrine of the biosphere and noosphere. The importance of the work of S. A. Podolinskyi is considered and its further prospects in the development of scientific research on the use of energy.