Anti-vitalist

An anti-vitalist is a person or philosophical stance that rejects the concept of vitalism. Vitalism posits that living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or 'vital force'. Anti-vitalists, conversely, believe that life can be explained solely through physical and chemical processes without invoking any special life force. They argue that the complexities of biology are ultimately reducible to the laws of physics and chemistry.

Anti-vitalist meaning with examples

• The scientist, a staunch anti-vitalist, dismissed the notion of a 'soul' influencing biological functions. She firmly believed that complex organisms like humans are the results of purely physical and chemical reactions. Her work focused on replicating life processes in a lab, thus challenging vitalistic arguments that claimed such creations were impossible.
• During the 19th-century scientific debate, many prominent figures, including chemists and biologists, adopted an anti-vitalist perspective. They meticulously studied the chemical composition of organic compounds and showed their synthesis in the lab, demonstrating that the 'vital force' was not necessary for the origin of life's building blocks.
• The philosopher's anti-vitalist treatise explored the implications of reducing consciousness to neurochemical reactions. He critiqued vitalistic arguments for free will, claiming all phenomena can be explained by deterministic physical laws. His book's central argument explored how even thoughts and feelings emerge from complex interactions of molecules.
• Driven by his anti-vitalist beliefs, Dr. Evans designed several experiments to explore the biological complexity of cancer cells and the physical and chemical properties of cancer cells. He believed that understanding the processes would facilitate the design of effective cancer drugs based on physics and chemistry, not 'vital energies'.
• The technological advancements in the 21st century supported the anti-vitalist outlook. The ability to create artificial cells demonstrated the success of applying the principles of chemistry and physics. Many in science now see the complex processes of life as an advanced interplay of physical forces.