Neo-vitalism is a philosophical movement that revisits and reinterprets the older concept of vitalism, which posits that life is governed by a distinct, non-material force or “vital spark” beyond mere physical and chemical processes. However, unlike traditional vitalism, neo-vitalism avoids viewing life as governed by a mysterious or supernatural “life force” and instead reconsiders life as a dynamic, self-organizing, and generative process.
Neo-vitalism brings together insights from biology, ecology, philosophy, and the social sciences to address the following key ideas:
1. Life as Dynamic and Self-Organizing
• Neo-vitalism emphasizes the self-organizing, emergent properties of life. Life is understood as inherently active and productive, generating complexity, novelty, and order through its interactions. This idea draws on advances in systems theory, complexity theory, and contemporary biology, which show that life can organize itself through networks and feedback loops without needing an external force.
• For example, ecosystems, cells, and organisms are seen as complex, self-sustaining systems that exhibit agency and adaptability, responding to their environments in ways that reflect an intrinsic vitality.
2. Beyond Mechanistic Views of Life
• In contrast to mechanistic views, which treat life as reducible to physical laws or mechanical processes, neo-vitalism argues that life has qualities and behaviors that cannot be entirely explained by traditional scientific models. This view suggests that there is a level of unpredictability, spontaneity, or “aliveness” in living beings, distinguishing them from non-living matter.
• Neo-vitalist thinkers often critique reductionist approaches that seek to explain life solely in terms of chemistry or physics, arguing instead for an understanding of life that acknowledges its inherent complexity and its capacity to act and adapt.
3. Agency and Material Vitality
• Neo-vitalism often intersects with new materialism, which proposes that all matter possesses some form of agency or potential. This perspective views life as a specific manifestation of a more general vitality or “aliveness” that permeates all matter, suggesting that even non-living entities have the capacity to affect and be affected.
• Thinkers like Jane Bennett in Vibrant Matter argue that material substances—such as rivers, metals, and even trash—possess a kind of agency, affecting the world around them and participating in networks of cause and effect. Life, in this view, is not isolated from matter but is a particularly intense form of material vitality.
4. Ethical and Political Implications
• Neo-vitalism brings an ethical dimension, emphasizing the need to respect and preserve the vitality of all forms of life and matter. By recognizing that life has agency and that all matter participates in ecological interdependencies, neo-vitalism suggests that humans should adopt a more respectful and ethical stance toward non-human beings and the environment.
• This perspective is particularly relevant to environmental ethics, advocating for the value of biodiversity, the rights of non-human entities, and the interconnectedness of life forms. Neo-vitalism challenges anthropocentric views, proposing an ethics of care, stewardship, and responsibility for all life forms.
5. Influence of Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Bergson
• Neo-vitalism draws inspiration from philosophers like Spinoza, Nietzsche, and Henri Bergson. Spinoza’s concept of conatus (the inherent drive of each being to persist and thrive) informs neo-vitalist ideas about agency and self-organization. Nietzsche’s concept of the will to power as an expression of life’s creative forces resonates with neo-vitalism’s view of life as inherently active and generative. Bergson’s concept of élan vital, though sometimes critiqued, also contributes to neo-vitalism’s view of life as a dynamic, evolutionary process.
• These thinkers influence neo-vitalist ideas about the autonomy of life, its creative capacities, and its drive toward self-assertion and expression.
6. Neo-Vitalism in Contemporary Thinkers
• Philosophers like Rosi Braidotti, Elizabeth Grosz, and Jane Bennett are prominent figures in neo-vitalism. Braidotti, for example, connects neo-vitalism to posthumanism, suggesting that all life and matter should be regarded as interconnected and valuable. Grosz explores how life expresses itself through materiality and bodies, emphasizing the unpredictable, creative aspect of existence.
• Neo-vitalism is also influential in feminist and queer theory, especially through scholars who use it to rethink embodiment, sexuality, and the life-affirming potential of desire and creativity in the context of the material world.
In summary, neo-vitalism is a philosophical approach that revitalizes ideas about life’s generative power, agency, and autonomy. It seeks a non-reductionist view of life that recognizes its complexity and interconnectedness with the material world, calling for an ethics that respects the agency of all beings and the vitality inherent in all matter. This perspective opens up new possibilities for rethinking ecology, ethics, and the relationship between human and non-human entities in a more inclusive, life-affirming way.
