Breath Or Soul? Exploring the Origins of Human Existence
The concept of soul developed differently among COM 4100 Week 4 Assignment The Impact of Digital Technology different cultures. In some, it was a separate spirit that survives death while in others, like the Egyptian ka and the Chinese ba, it remains close to the body until resurrection.
These different theories of soul and breath intertwine. This book examines how they play out in poetry and poetic theory, in notions of conspiration and breathing illness, and in broader concerns about identity and consciousness.
Origins of the word “soul”
The word “soul” derives from the Hebrew nephesh. It is also related to the Greek word psyche, and the Latin word spiritus. The Hebrews did not view the soul as separate from, but within, the body. The Hebrew concept is sometimes referred to as psycho-physical unity, although the term soul is most commonly associated with spiritual life and not physical existence.
In Aristotelian philosophy, the soul is defined as the first actuality of a living being. It is the animating principle that gives organisms in various degrees the ability to grow and reproduce, move and respond to stimuli, and think rationally. The soul is also a vehicle for emotions and morality.
Aristotle further developed the concept of a soul, and distinguished between mortal and immortal souls. He also taught that the soul was not a substance, but a functional activity.
The earliest Greeks also believed in a soul, and Socrates was particularly interested in human morality. He believed that the exercise of the soul’s logical faculties was the most divine of all activities. This concept of the soul was later adapted by Christian theologians, who emphasized the importance of a strong conscience and a righteous lifestyle. They also believed that the dead soul ascended to heaven and returned to God at death. This was a radical departure from the earlier Mesopotamian belief that the soul remained COM 4100 UNIT 6 ASSIGNMENT 1 SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE CONSUMER in a dreary netherworld called Hades or Sheol.
