One ancient theory was an idea called vitalism, which claimed that living things were unique because they were filled with a special substance, or energy, that was the essence of life.

有一个被称为“活力论”的古老的理论认为生物体独特的，因为生物充满特别的物质或能量，这种物质就生物的本质。

So I think the vitalist idea is really that it's kind of a dualistic interpretation.

因此，我认为活力论的观点实际上一种二元论的解释。

And then the vitalism that he's talking about is a bit unclear as well, but yeah, he's sympathetic to monism in some ways, but just not in the way it's used by Schopenhauer to explain things.

而且， 所说的活力论也有些模糊不清，实以某种方式同情一元论，只不认同叔本华用它来解释事物的方式。

If vitalism, you mean that everything reduces to one single demi-urge.

如果说的活力论，你的意思万物归结于一个单一的造物主。

I think what he says and something to the effect, he doesn't like the idea of an underlying metaphysical unity, but he's more sympathetic to a vitalistic unity.

我认为说的意思，不喜欢那种潜在的形而上学统一性的想法，更同情一种活力论的统一性。