Conatus: an effort or force

Yves Klein, Harry Shunk, Janos Kender, Leap into the Void (1960), Gelatin silver print.

'Hence whatever moves, no matter how feeble, and no matter how large may be the obstacle it meets, will propagate its conatus in full against all obstructions into infinity, and furthermore it will impress its conatus on all that follows. For though it cannot be denied that a moving body does not proceed in its motion even when it has been stopped, it at least strives to do so, and what is more, it strives, or what is the same thing, begins to move the obstructing bodies, however large, even though they may exceed it.'

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Philosophical Papers and Letters (1956), Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1989, 140.