That which we call “Life” is the unifying force that organizes materials at a higher level; it is the ability to create order and the force driving self-formation. This monograph seeks to consider how this self-formative force of life works within biological activity and evolution, and contemplates the issues of inevitability, contingency and freedom within the flow of life. It is a an attempt at a natural philosophy that aims at transitioning from the mechanistic worldview that reigned from the 19th thru 20th century to a vitalistic worldview that perceives Mother Nature as a ‘living nature’ in possession of unlimited productivity.