Weakly nonlocal non-equilibrium thermodynamics - variational principles and Second Law

A general, uniform, rigorous and constructive thermodynamic approach to weakly nonlocal non-equilibrium thermodynamics is reviewed. A method is given to construct and restrict the evolution equations of physical theories according to the Second Law of thermodynamics and considering weakly nonlocal constitutive state spaces. The evolution equations of internal variables, the classical irreversible thermodynamics and Korteweg fluids are treated.