soul:home

Soul

Summary

A mistaken reification/hypostatization (where the model developed to describe a phenomena itself becomes a independent concept than the original state that the model was intended to describe).

Possibly derived from trying to describe the state of Activity of living versus the the abscence of it in death, came out as the “breath of life”, and question where this breath/wind went on to.

Aristotle in On the Soul (anima) described there being 3 types:

  • vegetative soul (plants)
  • sensitive soul (animals)
  • rational soul (humans)

Clearly he has since been proven wrong, as animals have displayed rationality (crows to apes)

Plato added 'immortality'.

Which in turn impacted judeo christian religions, such that only humans have eternal souls (see Thomas Aquinas). Thomas aquinas stated the soul is in every part of the body. (Amputations qualify?) There have 2 concepts regarding moment of creation. By god, by parents joining their spirit (traducianism) And they have 2 concepts of when. Either the soul was created before. Or at a specific point of birth.

Hinduism and Jainism believe that all living things from the smallest bacterium to the largest of mammals are the souls themselves (Atman and jiva) and have their physical representative (the body) in the world. The actual self is the soul, while the body is only a mechanism to experience the karma of that life. Interesting.

Some believe that moutains and rivers have souls (animism).

Egyptians souls were not attached to a body, but could be 'encased' seperately (eg in a specific monument).

The traditional doctrine in Buddhism regarding the soul, self, or ego is that it is non-existent as a separate, permanent entity. The non-existence of self (anatman), the impermanence of all things (anitya), and the suffering (dukkha) experienced by living beings due to attachment to ideas of self and permanence are central concepts in almost all Buddhist schools. The doctrine of Buddha-nature, while sometimes misinterpreted as referring to a “true self” or “soul” of some kind, actually depends upon acceptance of the concept of anatman to be properly understood.[15]

That you are impermanent. Assisting towards accepting that your anima and ego is impermanent. That there is only suffering in not letting that attachment go.
Interesting.

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  • Last modified: 2025/01/19 23:28
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