Views of the soul
The soul is possessed by different types of living things distinguished by their different functions. Souls of humans have intellect, self-motion and the capacity of nourishment and reproduction. Soul is the essence of any living thing. It is known as psyche and is the living force in a human being. The body and soul are not and cannot ever be separate entities; It is an inextricable union. The soul performs certain activities it is like an enlivener and capacitor. When a natural being is alive its parts are organised, they are as a whole. The soul provides a type of power, it maintains unity.
Another view of the soul is suggested by Plato, he holds there are three parts of the soul; reason, appetite and spirited nature. The appetites hold all our myriad desires for different pleasures, comforts and satisfactions. Plato does not enumerate but does mention they can be in conflict even with one another. The spirited nature is the part that loves to partake in challenges and over come them. The use of the lexis ‘spirited’ is not the same as spiritual but rather is of the meaning power and lots of energy. The reason is our mind, our conscious awareness. This part is what calculates, thinks and weighs up what decision would be best.
The soul is the perfect example of what links and binds families together. Souls are what each human possess in my view; the characteristics of a soul are innate within all of us. I think by exploring different theories of the soul I can begin to understand various interpretations of what makes us human. The human race shares hundreds of common characteristics yet we are all unique. As families we formulate ties with one another forming bonds which are difficult to break. Therefore I think souls represent an aspect of our being we all have and this links us together and creates a family even a community. This idea combines community, faith and family together.
The soul can be seen as being a very spiritual idea and that’s why when I researched art and photography related to the soul I wasn’t surprised to see lots of various soul interpretations some linked to the Christianity perception, Buddhism perception, etc.