vitalism

The theory or doctrine that life processes arise from or contain a nonmaterial vital principle and cannot be explained entirely as physical and chemical phenomena.

In biology, the doctrine that ascribes all the functions of an organism to a vital principle distinct from chemical and other physical forces.

The doctrine that all the functions of a living organism are due to an unknown vital principle distinct from all chemical and physical forces.

the doctrine that life involves some immaterial “vital force”, and cannot be explained scientifically

(philosophy) a doctrine that life is a vital principle distinct from physics and chemistry