I think that people are attracted to the idea of a soul because they would like to think that there is something unchanging about them. A desire for constancy in an inconstant world.
What I have experienced is wild changes in my own behavior, thoughts, desires, fears, drives, and whatever-might-have-you. Certainly, I am not the same person I was when I was an infant or when I was a child or when I was a young man or - I suppose in a more subtle way - I will be after I finish posting this and get some lunch.
I argue with myself. Blame myself. Bargain with myself. Pump myself up. All as though there are different selves within me at all times. By this I conclude that I don’t really have a self, but more of a collection of personalities, characteristics, and traits that are more or less dominant at any given moment. I am large, I contain (thank you Walt) multitudes.
I am comfortable with my inconstancy and inconsistencies. Generally at peace about having selves rather than a self.
I see no evidence of a soul. And I haven’t the need for one that would drive me to delude myself into thinking I have one nonetheless.
i don’t believe in god but i think life is infinitely profound; as profound as an idea like the soul. so i guess it depends on your definition of soul and how creative or spiritual you are
Word games. “God” and “Soul” are so ill-defined you can get literally anyone to agree that those “things” (thinks?) exist. If I define “soul” as “repeating emergent pattern of genetically and environmentally internal state and observable behaviour in a sentient species” I maybe could even get some people in this community to agree that such a concept exists. If I use a more religious definition like “magic non physical entity bestowed by an eternal god” all I would get is a resounding “NOO!”. It is the memetics strength of those concepts by being incredibly flexible and vague that will ensure their ongoing use and existence - and questions like this one.
Well, I use the word “soul” to sum up what makes a person a person, their base values, moral standpoint, what they love and hate etc. The warmth of a person. In the same way I would say that somebody forfeits their soul because of their acts. And I’d argue that our soul “lives on” after we die in the people we’ve made an impression on or in general through the effects of our actions. But some magic person-container? No. We die and then we’re dead.
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