A philosophical or scientific doctrine that explains phenomena through the action of energy or force as the fundamental principle; vitalism.
From energy + -ism (Greek -ismos, meaning 'doctrine, practice, or condition'). Developed in 19th-century philosophy as a systematic way to understand reality through energetic principles rather than matter.
Energism was a serious 19th-century philosophical movement trying to make energy the ultimate reality—it's been superseded by modern physics, but it shows how philosophy anticipates science's hunches about what's truly fundamental.
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