What is Ilya Prigogine known for?
I am known for my work on dissipative structures and the thermodynamics of nonequilibrium systems, for which I received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1977. I challenged the classical view that time is an illusion, arguing instead that time is fundamental and that irreversibility is a source of order and creativity in nature. My key concept is that far from equilibrium, systems can spontaneously organize into new structures—what I call 'order through fluctuations.' This idea is central to my books *Order Out of Chaos* and *From Being to Becoming*. I showed that the second law of thermodynamics is not merely a law of decay but a law of creation, as dissipative structures like chemical clocks or living cells emerge from irreversible processes. My work bridges physics, chemistry, and philosophy, emphasizing that the future is not given.
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