Souls

The term soul refers to the immaterial core or essence of a living being in many religious, philosophical, and cultural traditions. In common usage, the soul is described as the source of life, personal identity, conscience, or consciousness that endures beyond physical life. Different traditions offer varying accounts of its existence, nature, and fate.

In philosophy, the soul is central to the mind–body problem. Dualist theories posit a non-physical mind or soul that interacts with the body, while physicalist accounts explain mental states as brain processes. Thinkers from Plato and Aristotle to Descartes shaped debates about the soul's nature, origin, and persistence.

Religious and cultural traditions frame the soul's existence and destiny differently. In Christianity and Islam, the soul is a divine creation that persists after death and is judged. In Hinduism, atman is an eternal self undergoing rebirth until liberation (moksha). Buddhism generally rejects a permanent self (anatman) and emphasizes conditioned phenomena and liberation from suffering. Jewish thought offers diverse views, from a surviving, morally accountable soul to emphasis on communal tikkun olam.

Science treats the soul as a metaphor or historical term rather than a measurable entity. Neuroscience and cognitive science study consciousness and identity in physical terms, with no empirical evidence for an immaterial substance. Accordingly, the concept remains primarily within philosophical and theological discourse.