Energeticism, also called energism or energetics[a] (German: Energetik),[1] is a superseded theory in science that posits that energy is the ultimate element of physical reality.
[3] Ludwig Boltzmann and Max Planck constantly rebutted the idea of energeticism[3] in favor of atomic theory.
While teaching chemistry in Riga Polytechnic Institute, Wilhelm Ostwald became convinced that certain reactions could only be explained in terms of energy, without the need of invoking the hypothesis of the existence of atoms.
[4] During an inaugural lecture in 1887 in Leipzig University, Ostwald outlined his program of energetics as an alternative to atomic theory.
In his second edition of his textbook on physical chemistry of 1892, he stressed that energetic ideas should avoid all atomistic considerations.
[4] In 1895, Boltzmann who supported atomic theory in light of his recently developed statistical mechanics, organized a debate with Ostwald to be held during a scientific conference in Lübeck, Germany.
[3] Arnold Sommerfeld records his impression of the conference:[3] The fight between Boltzmann and Ostwald resembled, both externally and internally, the struggle between a bull and a supple fencer.
[9] In 1903, Jean Baptiste Perrin in his book Traité de la chimie physique[10] criticised energetics for its "theoretical obscurities".
[9] A year later, Paul Langevin was the first to take his disagreement with Duhem publicly during symposium at the Musée de pédagogie in Paris.
[11] Duhem finally published his two volume "Treaty on energetics" (French: Traité d'energétique) in 1911 which was well received by Ostwald and Helm.