What does it mean to have a soul? Religion and philosophy alike exist to answer this question. We are going to approach it from a logical standpoint and I hope you enjoy the journey. Understanding this subject is the foundation to numerous topics of study. Enough with the introduction, lets get started!

It starts with a seed. At face value, it can look like any dead chaff blowing around. Once planted though, a change takes place. The question at this point is what causes the change? It will pull the right amount of nutrients from the soil and build a structure of a certain kind. So you have the structure, the proper application of nutrients and a certain plant that is going to be built. Who directs all of this from deep inside a seed? We see chemical reactions that build crystals, but it is ridiculous to compare the stacking of energy charges to something that gathers, reproduces and grows into a complex structure of a certain kind. The Greeks believed that anything that starts out simple and gathers nutrition to conform to a certain image must have a soul. A soul is the leader that orchestrates all the complex processes to make something alive.

In the 19th century, there was a fascination with electricity and microscopes. In the same ways that uncivilized man tried to explain life by equating it with familiar things such as trees, the sun or the moon, scientists tried to dismiss all life as the product of an electric charge on a single cell. Either way is too simplistic to explain the complexities of life as we know it now. We can only observe and document the habits of certain forms of life, but the origin and destination of each soul escapes us. A soul will come and do its job and then leave. Once the soul leaves, the form it built will decay and go back to the earth.

This is a good starting point for philosophy where we want to explain what is observed. When describing the soul of most plants, there is little sensitivity or mobility, but it has the three properties mentioned above. A soul in an animal is more developed, has instincts and perception. The soul of a humans has all of the above yet has the addition of advanced reasoning and character. Virtue is the word used when the raw material from life is organized into the best form possible. A beautiful flower from a seed is considered virtuous and we can say the soul did a good job. A healthy adaptive animal would be considered virtuous. This can be applied to human behavior; when raw emotions are combined together with circumstances and knowledge to form good character it becomes virtuous. This is one of the complex functions of the human soul; studying the habits that get us there is what this site is about. I hope that understanding the concept of souls and virtue will make it easier to figure out what I am talking about in the future.

It is said that actions speak louder than words yet at the same time we want the actions to come from the heart and be genuine. The right passions can be reinforced through habits or an epiphany through observations and education. It is clear however that there are two parts to having good character; passions and actions. A majority of the population is interested in the passion aspect. There are countless people who call themselves philosophers but they lack real world application. We see idealists born every day and yet those who act on good principles are hard to find since they are less vocal about it. They are found working and improving their lives and in the process, others are inspired to follow the same course of actions. A true philosopher is looking for ways to make himself a better person. There are dabblers who only use philosophy to look for ways to criticize others, giving themselves a righteous appearance while their actions aren’t consistent. In the end there is a greater cause than demanding justice. The greatest cause is becoming a just person. The same goes for kindness, courage or any character trait that is virtuous. So along these lines let us continue.

There have been numerous philosophies that attempt to explain human behavior. Unfortunately, no one has been able to pin it down by looking deep into the human psyche. It is there where choices are made between that which is right or that which causes damage, but the standard lies elsewhere. There exists a template when it comes to character that we are reaching toward. Aristotle presents observations on these standards of good motives and behavior when he wrote Ethics. A work of art is made according to something conceived inside a person but standards of behavior are more of a pattern that we all know we should follow. It is as if a perfect person exists as a pattern and we ask ourselves what this person would do if the same circumstances arose. And circumstances are important. It is important to use the right amount of courage so as not to be foolhardy, the right amount of kindness as not to be gullible and the list goes on. Virtue has to consider more than mere rules because each person’s circumstances are different. It is as if a template of perfection exists and we try to apply it to our experiences in this imperfect world. Sometimes we achieve the goal and other times we don’t. Sometimes we are absolute flops and other times we score and hit the bulls-eye. Every person has to work at it and we each have our hands full keeping ourselves straight. Only an arrogant person would say otherwise.

You are a worthy project. Trying to change others is a futile exercise. By focusing on others it is too easy to lose ourselves in the comparisons. When dealing with ourselves, it is good to do some soul searching to figure out what triggers us to fall short. What is causing the anxiety? And in our understanding of others we all can use a little more grace by understanding their circumstances. All of us should have the expectation of doing our best to live our lives according to a template of goodness so we can enjoy life better. Since good character begets contentment and peace with others it is right that we study the mechanics of it.