Chronic Vitalism: Lessons from the History of Science

After critically examining the history of vitalism, particularly its complex interactions with other concepts and theories from non-biological sciences, it is now appropriate to offer a broader reflection. As demonstrated, akin to Hans Driesch, vitalists throughout the history of science frequently utilized prevalent non-biological concepts and theories of their era to develop and justify their doctrines. It is striking that over more than two thousand years, from ancient natural philosophers to modern quantum physicists, interest in vitalism has persisted. Now, this chapter first introduces the concept of chronic vitalism to describe these historical phenomena, and then elucidates three lessons on understanding vitalism and its roles throughout the history of science.