Which type of vitalism suggests there is a substance within living things that provides unique properties?

Extreme vitalism posits that there is a unique substance or force inherent within living organisms that imbues them with distinct properties, distinguishing them from inanimate matter. This perspective emphasizes the idea that life is governed by a vital principle that cannot be reduced to physical and chemical processes alone. Extreme vitalists believe that this life force, often referred to as "vital spirit" or "élan vital," is fundamental to understanding biological processes and cannot be replicated or fully explained by scientific reductionism.

Moderate vitalism, on the other hand, accepts some explanatory power of physical and chemical processes but still posits that living organisms possess qualities that are not found in non-living entities. Substance dualism relates more to the philosophical distinction between mind and body rather than a specific force in living things. Organicism focuses on the relationships and integrated processes within living systems but does not attribute unique properties to a substance within those systems in the same way that extreme vitalism does.

Recognizing the nature of extreme vitalism is essential for understanding various perspectives in chiropractic philosophy, particularly in how it influences the view of the body as an interconnected system with unique characteristics inherent in life itself.