Mechanical philosophy and vitalism were popular and co-existed on a non-mutually exclusive spectrum in the seventeenth century.
Mechanical philosophy is a philosophy of nature which arose broadly in the 17th century and sought to explain all natural phenomenon in terms of matter and motion without relying on "action at a distance" or the idea of a cause and effect that occurred without any physical contact or direct motivation.
René Descartes, Pierre Gassendi, and Marin Mersenne all held mechanistic viewpoints.
See also:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitalism
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanical_philosophy
Link to:
- spooky action at a distance (quantum mechanics)