Vitalism A general name for the position in philosophy of biology that insists that something nonmaterial needs to be added to organic matter to produce life. Related Topics: Philosophy Contributed by: Dr.

go beyond both mechanism and vitalism in his book Emergent Evolution . Morgan argued that several miraculous events were spawned in the course of evolution: the two most important miracles were the emergence of life and mind. In contrast to both

is alive. So we reject vitalism .  All you need for life is matter, properly organized, so it can perform these functions. Topic Index Next > Reductionism and Non-Reductionism

and, though Darwin rejected vitalism , he has been read as deifying nature. Clifford also points out that Darwin considered his theory compatible with belief in God, though his personal position seems to shift from belief to agnosticism.

who appeals to naturalism or vitalism in defense of leaving nature alone. Still neither Christian theologians nor molecular biologists are likely to agree with Rifkin - though for different reasons. Actually the term “playing God”

is alive. So we reject vitalism . All you need for life is matter, properly organized, so it can perform these functions. Topic Index More: Reductionism and Non-Reductionism Show

science because it smacks of vitalism , the incorporation of an ingredient in our natures which is not subject to scientific test. In this account we have preferred to speak of a spiritual aspect to human existence. We have, in effect, chosen

to the thinking known as vitalism . However, this very basic physicalist assumption is of strictly limited importance. All human beings are made of the same sorts of atoms, indeed the same sorts of chemicals. We do consist of ‘nothing