Vitalism Vitalism is the metaphysical view that nature is composed of living and intelligent matter. In other words, "everything is alive" (Copenhaver 2015, 510). In the late Renaissance, it was espoused by Giordano Bruno and Tomasso Campanella. Margaret Cavendish, the Duchess of Newcastle, defended a vitalist view of metaphysics during the mid to late Seventeenth century. Vitalism is usually characterized as a form of materialism and monism. Vitalists believe that there is only one kind of substance (monism), and that substance is made of matter, albeit matter that is capable of both thought and perception. According to Bruno, everything is material, including God and demons (Bruno 2015, 437). His view is akin to the Stoic conception of nature as rational ( logos ) and possessing a spirit or mind ( nous ). Bruno and Cavendish both consider nature to be one organism, more like a giant animal than a giant machine (Copenhaver 2015, 510). Bruno's view is best understo...
Many words used in Early Modern Philosophy (1600-1800) have their origins in the traditions of supernatural or natural magic. These words have a long tradition and their meanings were sometimes deliberately hidden or obscured. To better understand Early Modern philosophy, we must be able to supply background and context. Here we aim to provide that context.