Existence of entropy as a consequence of asymptotic stability

For a class of physical systems whose temporal evolution is governed by ordinary differential equations, the consequences of an assumption of asymptotic stability for equilibrium states in isolation remarkably resemble various forms of the second law of thermodynamics. Here we apply a known converse to Lyapunov's stability theorem to motivate both Gibbs' theory of thermostatics and the use of the Clausius-Duhem inequality for systems which are out of equilibrium and exchanging heat with their surroundings. We also discuss conditions under which the entropy of a system can be expressed as a sum of the entropies of its material points.