The RNA world hypothesis is only one of many hypotheses of the origin of life. The six most important are listed under your Wikipedia link. Because RNA can act as enzyme, hydrolysis is indeed involved in the beginning of life by RNA - thus I was wrong with my otherwise statement. RNA can split itself by hydrolysis, and in fact needs to for reproduction.

- But how does thermodynamics "explain the flow of energy" for breaking molecules? Which thermodynamics law are you referring to?