Henri Bergson was a critic of scientism who argued that the scientific method is fundamentally limited when applied to life and consciousness. He believed that science, relying on intellectual analysis, reduces reality to static, spatialized concepts to facilitate practical control, thereby failing to capture duration (durée) and the fluid, creative nature of existence.

Instead, Bergson proposed philosophical intuition as the necessary complementary method to science. He viewed science and philosophy as two distinct, irreducible ways of knowing: science deals with inert matter and relative knowledge, while philosophy seeks absolute knowledge of real becoming through intuition. Thus, his work is best characterized as a philosophy of life or process philosophy that seeks to balance scientific rigor with metaphysical insight.

Élan vital (French for "vital impulse" or "life momentum") is a central philosophical concept introduced by Henri Bergson in his 1907 book Creative Evolution. It is defined as an original, creative force or impulse that drives the ongoing process of biological evolution and distinguishes living organisms from inert matter.

It acts as a dynamic, spontaneous tendency that propels life forward through perpetual creation and diversification, rejecting mechanistic or predetermined views of evolution.

Immanent Impulsion: It is described as a continuous flow of consciousness or energy that penetrates and organizes matter, starting from a common source and bifurcating into divergent lines (such as vegetative, instinctive, and intellectual paths).

Opposition to Mechanism: Bergson used the concept to argue that life cannot be reduced to simple physico-chemical processes or fixed laws, emphasizing instead life's irreducible creativity and unpredictability.

Human Cognition: He related the concept to human experience, portraying instinct as an intuitive alignment with this vital flow and intelligence as a tool for navigating inert matter.

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