What IS a soul?

[Chosen Enemy]

The shows told us about souls. About things that have a soul and things that don't and even what they do to people. But they never defined what a soul IS exactly. So all we have left, is to spaculate, come up with theories.

So what is this thing in the Buffyverse?

 

[Amethyst]

I personally believe you are a soul! It's everything about you that's not physical 🙂 Your thoughts, your feelings, everything on the inside that makes you you 🙂 Your body is just a vessel that your soul resides in 🙂
In the Buffyverse, Vampires apparently don't have souls but they apparently still feel and love, so I think they must have souls, they've just become darkened, so their thoughts and feelings are just the negative aspects of what they are, the positive, nice aspects have been overtook or been pushed down deep... 🙂

Just a theory! lol 😀

 

[white avenger]

The simplest definition of a soul as it applies to the Buffyverse would be a conscience, the ability to acknowledge guilt and accept responsibility for your actions. On a secondary level, the soul gives its owner the ability to more easily feel unconditional love and loyalty and has the potential for creating a sense of honor, things that, it has been illustrated on at least a few occasions in the Buffyverse, aren't totally foreign to vampires, but, without the soul, are extremely rare.

 

[RogueDemonHunter]

I would say that a soul is what gives a person life. Without a soul they are just a moving body with the motive to kill. It gives the body it inhabits empathy, and humanity. Without a soul, there is nothign inhumane or morally wrong with someone killing you, because you don't have emotions, only sexual desire and contempt.

 

[sisterofmercy]

The simplest definition of a soul as it applies to the Buffyverse would be a conscience, the ability to acknowledge guilt and accept responsibility for your actions. On a secondary level, the soul gives its owner the ability to more easily feel unconditional love and loyalty and has the potential for creating a sense of honor, things that, it has been illustrated on at least a few occasions in the Buffyverse, aren't totally foreign to vampires, but, without the soul, are extremely rare.

Yeah, in terms of how the verse sees souls, I'd say this.

Otherwise I don't think there's such thing.

 

[Sweet J]

Although neither Joss nor I believe in Judaeo-Christian beliefs, I recall reading somewhere that the Soul concept in the show follows that of the Christian teachings.

 

[Summerlilly]

I've always been confused by this in vampire lore. Don't they say you can't love and are basically an evil, empty, shell without a soul? But yet, as we've seen on several shows vampires can do this. They can certainley love. And not all are evil.

 

[dj651]

I've always thought it was interesting that a soul was something physical (we can tell because it can be stored in the Orb of Thessela). You would think that since it's a tangible thing, it would have certain, specific effects on how a person/vampire/demon acts/thinks/feels once it was inside a body. Considering that, it's really interesting how it has such a different effect on Angel and Spike.

On another note, do you think it would be possible for a human's soul to be removed? (I don't think this ever happens on the show, but correct me if I'm wrong.) What would happen to him/her? Would the person become an empty shell, like in Harry Potter, or would they become a vicious black hole of morality like Angelus?

 

[InsaneMystic]

On another note, do you think it would be possible for a human's soul to be removed? (I don't think this ever happens on the show, but correct me if I'm wrong.) What would happen to him/her? Would the person become an empty shell, like in Harry Potter, or would they become a vicious black hole of morality like Angelus?

There's one ep of AtS with a human boy without a soul... it's one of the eps I haven't ever got around to watch yet, though, so I can't say much more about it.

 

[dexeded]

There's one ep of AtS with a human boy without a soul... it's one of the eps I haven't ever got around to watch yet, though, so I can't say much more about it.

That was an awesome episode. Titled "I've Got You Under My Skin". He was basically an inhuman destructo guy with no empathy, moral compass, or emotions. I've only seen the episode once, though (I haven't got around to rewatching AtS yet).

 

[dj651]

In that case, then, we can say that a soul is what gives you empathy and a sense of morality, right? Somehow, though, it's possible to develop these without a soul, as we see with Spike. Theories?

 

[Kana]

In that case, then, we can say that a soul is what gives you empathy and a sense of morality, right? Somehow, though, it's possible to develop these without a soul, as we see with Spike. Theories?

I promise, when I'm feeling better I'll be all over this. Part of my complaint is that the definitions were all too wolly, so arguing the significance of not having one, having one or even choosing to fight for one becomes opaque at best.

I think it actually works better as metaphor then anything else.

As people have pointed out, soulless vampires have an intellectual understanding of morality and Spike has shown that without soul he can feel empathy and love. To say he feels that 'extra bit of love and empathy' just feels a bit wolly to me.

In any case until I find a concrete definition, I stand by my reluctance to judge soulless vampires morally seen as we cannot fully define what they actually lack that humans possess. All I can say is that there seems to be a profound psychological effect on the individual, which may or may not have a bearing on a preceding human (for example, is Anne any less loving as human because she wasn't able to carry those feelings into vampirehood, or if Angelus is considered one of the worst vampires why wasn't Liam depicted a callous sociopath?).

Again, I can't wait to really dissect this!!!!!