Soul

Soul is a concept used to refer to the immaterial essence of a living being, often considered the seat of life, consciousness, or identity. In many traditions, it is distinguished from the body and may survive death; in secular contexts, “soul” is used metaphorically for the inner life or core personality.

Etymology and historical development: The term derives from Old English sawol and related Germanic words, from Proto-Germanic roots linked to the idea of life force; cognate terms appear in Latin anima and Greek psyche. In ancient philosophy, Aristotle described the soul as the form of a living body, with vegetative, sensitive, and rational aspects. Plato and later Christian thinkers argued for the soul’s immortality, while René Descartes proposed mind–body dualism, a separation between thinking substance and physical matter.

Religious and philosophical views: In Hinduism, atman is the inner self, often regarded as ultimately divine, with moksha as liberation from the cycle of rebirth. In Buddhism, anatta or anatman teaches that there is no permanent self. In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the soul is viewed as a divine creation that often is regarded as immortal, with its fate shaped by moral and theological factors.

Modern thought and science: Psychology uses the term “soul” as a metaphor for inner life or moral character. Jungian theory explores archetypal aspects such as the anima and animus. In scientific disciplines, consciousness and personality are studied through neuroscience and psychology, with the soul treated as a non-empirical or metaphorical construct rather than a measurable entity.

Cultural usage: The word appears in music, literature, and everyday speech to denote essential nature or moral core, and it also names a genre of music rooted in African American experience.