psuche

Psyche, sometimes transliterated as psuche, derives from the Greek term ψυχή (psukhē) and is commonly rendered in English as soul, life, or mind. In ancient Greek thought, psykhē originally signified the breath or life principle animating a person and gradually came to denote the seat of thought, feeling, and personal identity. The word is the root of the Latin psyche and has given rise to modern terms such as psychology and psycho-.

In historical usage, psykhē appears in Homer as the life force that leaves upon death. In later philosophy, especially in Plato and Aristotle, it becomes a central concept for understanding living beings. Aristotle treats the psyche as the form or principle of life that organizes a body; he distinguishes vegetative, sensitive, and rational souls, with the rational soul unique to humans and capable of intellect and reason. The view of the soul as intrinsic to the organism contrasts with later dualist or spiritual theories in which mind and body are more separable.

Religious and literary contexts have also shaped the concept. In Christian theological tradition, psykhē is often translated as the soul, sometimes envisioned as immortal. In classical myth, Psyche is a mortal woman who becomes a goddess in the tale of Cupid and Psyche, a narrative frequently interpreted as an allegory of the soul’s ascent or maturation.

In modern usage, the term psyche survives in the disciplines of psychology and psychoanalysis as well as in everyday language to signify the inner life or mental life of a person. The root also appears in numerous compound terms across science and culture.