Erwin Schrödinger, the Austrian physicist and one of the founders of quantum mechanics, indeed pondered the concept of life force in his philosophical works, particularly in his book "What is Life?" published in 1944. In this book, Schrödinger explored the idea of life from a scientific and philosophical perspective, trying to bridge the gap between physics and biology.
Schrödinger was intrigued by the apparent order and organization observed in living organisms, which seemed to defy the second law of thermodynamics (the law of entropy). He suggested that there must be some underlying physical principle or force responsible for maintaining this order, which he referred to as "negative entropy" or "negentropy."
However, it's essential to note that Schrödinger's concept of the life force wasn't akin to mystical or spiritual notions of vitalism. Instead, he was attempting to find a scientific explanation for the characteristic features of living systems, such as their ability to maintain themselves far from equilibrium and to reproduce with remarkable fidelity.
In summary, Schrödinger's exploration of the life force was a scientific inquiry into the underlying principles governing living systems, rather than an endorsement of mystical or metaphysical concepts.
