noun
- Plural of hylozoist; philosophers or thinkers who believe that matter is inherently alive or that all matter possesses life or consciousness.
Usage: philosophy; formal; rare
Examples
- Ancient hylozoists argued that even stones possessed a form of life or animation.
- Some early Greek philosophers were hylozoists who rejected the distinction between living and non-living matter.
- Modern hylozoists continue to challenge conventional definitions of life and consciousness.
- The hylozoists of antiquity believed that the universe itself was a living organism.
- Contemporary philosophers debate whether hylozoists were precursors to modern panpsychism.