They have cut man in two, setting one half against the other. They have taught him that his body and his consciousness are two enemies engaged in deadly conflict, two antagonists of opposite natures, contradictory claims, incompatible needs, that to benefit one is to injure the other, that his soul belongs to a supernatural realm, but his body is an evil prison holding it in bondage to this earth—and that the good is to defeat his body, to undermine it by years of patient struggle, digging his way to that glorious jail-break which leads into the freedom of the grave.

They have taught man that he is a hopeless misfit made of two elements, both symbols of death. A body without a soul is a corpse, a soul without a body is a ghost—yet such is their image of man’s nature: the battleground of a struggle between a corpse and a ghost, a corpse endowed with some evil volition of its own and a ghost endowed with the knowledge that everything known to man is non-existent, that only the unknowable exists.

Do you observe what human faculty that doctrine was designed to ignore? It was man’s mind that had to be negated in order to make him fall apart. Once he surrendered reason, he was left at the mercy of two monsters whom he could not fathom or control: of a body moved by unaccountable instincts and of a soul moved by mystic revelations—he was left as the passively ravaged victim of a battle between a robot and a recording device.

The soul (mind) represents the rational, conscious aspect of a person, while the spirit (life force) represents the dynamic, energetic aspect, in essence, your body. Both are essential to understanding human existence, and their unity rejects the mystical dichotomy between mind and body.

Both concepts are understood as integral parts of a single, unified being. 

• As a Noun, the Soul and Spirit are synonymous

• As an Adjective the Soul and Spirit are synonymous

The differences lay in the way the concepts are used, where the soul is used as a noun while the spirit is used as an adjective.

Primary Focus:

Soul: Primarily concerns the mind, consciousness, and rational thought.

Spirit: Primarily concerns the life force, energy, and vitality.

Components:

Soul: Emphasizes moral reasoning, emotional core, personal identity, and awareness.

Spirit: Emphasizes vitality, strength, emotional feeling, character, and defining traits.

Contextual Use:

Soul: Used to describe intellectual and emotional capacities (e.g., being soulful).

Spirit: Used to describe energy and vitality (e.g., being spirited).

A traditionally mystical idea can be understood through modern cultural technology by using grammar to connect synonymous concepts. Here is our main example for tonight:

Soul

In Secular Philosophy, the soul is the mind and the mind is the soul, they are synonymous.

Soul = Mind

Mind = Soul

Your soul is not a mystical entity; everything humanity understands about the mind as a noun (a concept) applies to the soul.

Google’s definition of Mind

/mīnd/

Noun

The element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.

Google’s definition of Soul

/sōl/

Noun

The spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal.

A person's moral or emotional nature or sense of identity.

We strip off the mystical elements, the parts that by definition cannot be known or understood. Then we logically integrate the rest.

• Moral = Think, Thought*

• Emotional = Feel

• Identity = Element of a person

• Sense = Aware

*The use of Reason is considered moral, for example:

Noun - Having a reason for your actions = Having thought through your actions

Verb - Trying to reason with your partner = “Let’s think about this”

Both Consciousness & Experiences are broad concepts and are applicable to all four mind-soul connections.

We now have a secular framework for discussing the soul, thereby allowing us to reclaim all of its already secular uses, such as being passionate enough to be described as Soulful or indifferent enough to be described as Soulless.

Spirit

Spirit = Life Force, Life Force = Spirit

Your spirit is not a mystical entity either; everything humanity understands about life force as a concept applies to spirit.

Google’s definition of Life Force 

/līf fôrs/ 

Noun 

The spirit or energy that animates living creatures; the soul.

The force or influence that gives something its vitality or strength.

Google’s definition of Spirit 

/ˈspirət/ 

Noun 

The nonphysical part of a person which is the seat of emotions and character; the soul.

A specified emotion or mood, especially one prevailing at a particular time.

The attitude or intentions with which someone undertakes or regards something.

Stripping the Mystical Elements we can see these similarities:

• Spirit = Spirit

• Soul = Soul, Nonphysical part of a person, Seat of emotions and character

• Energy = The attitude or intentions with which someone undertakes

• Influence = Emotion or mood prevailing at a particular time, Attitude

• Animates, Force = Undertakes something

We now have a secular framework for discussing the spirit, thereby allowing us to reclaim all of its already secular uses, such as being energetic and lively enough to be described as Spirited or lacking vitality and enthusiasm enough to be described as Spiritless.