Élan Vital
/e.lɑ̃ vi.tal/noun
A creative life force or vital impulse, especially the concept developed by French philosopher Henri Bergson.
Did you know?Henri Bergson’s élan vital was not occult energy but a philosophical attempt to explain life’s apparent creativity beyond purely mechanical processes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷeyh₃-
“To live; the reconstructed root behind the Latin family of life-words”
Classical Latin
Latin
vīta
“Life; the living condition”
Old French
Old French
eslan
“A leap, rush, or sudden burst of movement”
12th–13th Century
French
élan
“A vigorous impulse, dash, or energetic thrust”
Late Middle English
English
vital
“Of or relating to life, from Latin vītālis, “of life””
1907
French
élan vital
“Bergson’s term for a creative life impulse or force driving living evolution”
Modern English
English
élan vital
“A philosophical life force or creative vital impulse”