Henri Bergson's Vital Impulse

The concept of Élan vital, or "vital impetus," was developed by French philosopher Henri Bergson in the early 20th century. It aimed to provide a new explanation for the evolution and development of life that went beyond traditional scientific approaches, which mainly focused on mechanical and material aspects. Bergson introduced this concept in his 1907 work "Creative Evolution," presenting it as a hypothetical explanation for the creative and unpredictable nature of life's development over time.

Bergson criticized the reductionist views of his time, which often saw organic life as merely the result of chemical and physical interactions. He argued that such perspectives failed to account for the qualitative and complex nature of life experiences and biological processes. Instead, Bergson suggested that life is driven by an intangible, vital force—élan vital—that fosters creativity, adaptation, and evolutionary developments.

"Élan vital" was proposed to explain why evolutionary developments are often unpredictable and cannot be entirely predicted from previous states. It suggests that life constantly strives to create, innovate, and transcend its current conditions. This could explain the emergence of new, more complex forms of life over the evolutionary timeline. The concept was quite influential in various fields, from philosophy to psychology and even early biological theories, offering a way to understand the driving force behind the dynamism and complexity of life.

While modern science, based on genetics and evolutionary biology, does not support élan vital as a scientific theory—favoring genetic mutation and natural selection as mechanisms of evolution—Bergson’s idea remains significant in philosophical discussions about the nature of life and consciousness. His concepts echo some themes in cosmology, such as the spontaneous emergence and ongoing expansion of the universe suggested by the Big Bang theory, and challenge the scientific community to consider that aspects of living beings and universal phenomena may not be fully captured through quantitative measures. Go deeper: Bergson’s Vitalisms - Mathilde Tahar

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