A Simple Answer To Do We Have A Soul?

By Leslie Ball


The desire to understand human nature and existence fuels the debate on the soul and its relationship to the body. Its location and function are issues worth evaluating. The debate started long ago with Aristotle and Plato trying to explain its fate when a person dies. So, do we have a soul? Let us take the next few paragraphs to find an answer.

It is common to equate the soul with the mind. Both are not tangible but while one is more about intelligence, the other deals with conscience. Their interchangeable use arises from the fact that both are not physical and therefore are deductions from human existence. Metaphysics, biology and religion define the term differently.

According to different religious believes the spirit enters the body at creation and comes from God. The bible records that God breathe life into the molded clay. This is translated to be point where human beings draw their spirit from. As such, it lives and defines a person for the duration he or she is alive. It is the carrier of principles of morality and therefore is rewarded or condemned for good or bad deeds by God in the afterlife.

In ancient civilizations, Plato argued that human souls resided in the body when people are alive. Upon death, it flies away leaving the flesh to decompose. Aristotle on the other hand insisted that souls die with bodies making them one and the same existence. There is yet to be clarity on what happens when one dies and what form the spirit takes.

The debate on whether animals have souls deepens the mystery. Do they think and feel like humans do and if this is the case, do they use souls? In the same light, is it possible to equate souls to life and what differences exist? The intelligence of animals is considered lower than that of human beings but their path in life is similar involving birth, life and death. Is this an indication that they too have souls?

Biologists contend that the human body is not just physical cells. They identify a third dimension that creates a difference between the living and the dead. According to their discussion, this third dimension could be what gives human existence the element of life. Their discussion is informed by the intangible and invisible nature of what defines human existence beyond brain impulse.

The fate of souls and how they find their way into bodies is another point of discussion. According to religious teachings, souls come from God with a responsibility to guide morality. They also control the enjoyment of pleasure and guilt feeling. This could therefore be the element that sets human beings apart from animals. This is an indirect confirmation of existence.

Whichever point of view one buys, it is clear that human beings possess souls. It can be considered as the life or the nature of humanity and a defining factor considering that human beings are rational and inclined to do good. Its point of entry into and exit from the body are the differing factors. What is not in doubt is that human being have a third dimension that provide feelings and a considerate nature.




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