Keyword: «non-living substance»

A historical analysis of the definition of life (living organism) in the concept of thermodynamic ecology is carried out. The basic characteristic properties of a living organism from inanimate matter are formulated. The prospects of precisely the thermodynamic approach to determining the living are shown. The role of Kelvin, Clausius, Bauer in the formation of approaches to the definition of life is analyzed. The theory of "negative entropy" of Schrödinger is stated.