Definition

Noun 1. A hypothetical vital force: In biology and philosophy, elan vital refers to a non-physical, non-chemical hypothetical force or impulse. It was proposed by the French philosopher Henri Bergson as the creative, driving energy responsible for the evolution, development, and complexity of living organisms. It suggests life is propelled by an internal, purposeful principle rather than merely by mechanical or chemical processes.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Bergson's concept of elan vital was central to his critique of mechanistic theories of evolution.
  • Some early 20th-century biologists were intrigued by the idea of an elan vital directing organic development, though it is not a mainstream scientific concept today.
  • The philosopher argued that elan vital was the source of creativity and adaptation in nature.

Advanced Usage

• Philosophical Context: The term is primarily used in historical discussions of philosophy of biology and vitalism, contrasting with mechanistic or materialist explanations of life.
  • The debate between mechanism and vitalism often centered on the existence of something like an elan vital.

Variants and Related Words

• Vitalism (n): The philosophical doctrine that life possesses a unique, non-physical principle or force distinguishing it from inanimate matter. is a specific concept within vitalist thought.
• Life force (n): A more general term for a hypothetical energy or principle inherent in all living things.

Synonyms

• Vital force: A direct synonym, though less specific to Bergson's philosophy.
• Life impulse: Captures the sense of a driving, creative energy.
• Vital principle: Emphasizes the fundamental, animating rule.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• The spark of life: An idiomatic expression with a similar poetic sense of an animating essence, though not a technical synonym.
  • Poets often write of the mysterious spark of life, much like philosophers once theorized about elan vital.

Noun

1. (biology) a hypothetical force (not physical or chemical) once thought by Henri Bergson to cause the evolution and development of organisms