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Is 'Soul' an Abstract or Concrete noun?

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Hi there! When you examine the way “soul” or “souls” is used in the Bible, it becomes evident that this word basically refers to people, animals, or the life that a person or an animal enjoys.
Fo example, “In Noah’s days .*.*. a few people, that is, eight souls, were carried safely through the water.” (1*Peter 3:20) Here the word “souls” clearly stands for people—Noah, his wife, his three sons, and their wives.
2-nd, In Genesis 1:20, 24 we read "And God went on to say: ‘Let the earth put forth living souls according to their kinds, domestic animal and moving animal and wild beast of the earth according to its kind.’ And it came to be so.” In this passage, fish, domestic animals, and wild beasts are all referred to by the same word—“souls.”
And 3rd- Consider Jesus’ words: “I am the fine shepherd; the fine shepherd surrenders his soul in behalf of the sheep.” (John 10:11) Jesus gave his soul, or life, in behalf of mankind. In these Bible passages, the word “soul” clearly refers to life as a person.

So is it Abstract or Concrete?

Abstract meaning non-physical. Example would be the untouchable, invisible, psyche. [Time, idea, mind]

Concrete meaning the physical. Example would be the visible, touchable smoke from fires. [Air, body, light]
 
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McBell

Resident Sourpuss
So is it Abstract or Concrete?

Abstract meaning non-physical. Example would be the untouchable, invisible, psyche. [Time, idea, mind]

Concrete meaning the physical. Example would be the visible, touchable smoke from fires. [Air, body, light]
It would depend upon the context in which it is used.
 

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Obviously, it pretty much means whatever any person wants it to mean - which pretty much makes it meaningless.
Agreed.

I do not use the word unless I am talking to someone who brings it up. I prefer not to get wrapped in the religious baggage surrounding the concept.

The Sum of Awe said:
Do you think someone can see the soul?
I guess it depends what they expect to see, but I can tell you that the entity looks something similar to this.

Type_O_star.jpg


But, hey... what would I know?
Close your eyes. Still your thoughts.
Wait a few years... and the sun might come out to play.
 

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
The ideas are contradictory. If you see something, it has a physical aspect and cannot be abstract. It's like asking whether you can see justice.

And I believe souls are abstract. Metaphor only.
You can see justice. It's there, in the meaningful actions of people. I don't think "seeing" is an adequate measure of "physical."
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Agreed.

I do not use the word unless I am talking to someone who brings it up. I prefer not to get wrapped in the religious baggage surrounding the concept.


I guess it depends what they expect to see, but I can tell you that the entity looks something similar to this.

Type_O_star.jpg


But, hey... what would I know?
Close your eyes. Still your thoughts.
Wait a few years... and the sun might come out to play.

But how can it be both non-physical and visible?
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Define physical.
No I am not trying to be an arse.

Is a hologram physical?
Where exactly would say hallucinations fit?

I suppose for the pixels exist, physically.

Physical is hard to define, but I think it's anything made of material, anti-matter or matter. Unlike mental thoughts such as hallucinations.
 

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
I suppose for the pixels exist, physically.

Physical is hard to define, but I think it's anything made of material, anti-matter or matter. Unlike mental thoughts such as hallucinations.
Let us take the hologram for an example...
Is it physical?
Technically yes, but not in any fashion that is meaningful to the everyday person.

Seems to me that "physical" for most people (or at the very least most everyone I know) means that it can be touched with your hands.
Like the computer I am using.

So in this sense, the hologram would not be physical, but you can still see it.
 

The Sum of Awe

Brought to you by the moment that spacetime began.
Let us take the hologram for an example...
Is it physical?
Technically yes, but not in any fashion that is meaningful to the everyday person.

Seems to me that "physical" for most people (or at the very least most everyone I know) means that it can be touched with your hands.
Like the computer I am using.

So in this sense, the hologram would not be physical, but you can still see it.

If that's the new definition of physical, then I guess I was wrong, but you cannot touch Gas or Light, so are they non-physical also?

I agree with the first idea of what I meant by physical is.
 

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
If that's the new definition of physical, then I guess I was wrong, but you cannot touch Gas or Light, so are they non-physical also?

I agree with the first idea of what I meant by physical is.
I am not arguing that it is some "new" definition of the word.
I am merely explaining that to my knowledge, based upon my experiences interacting with people is that people tend to think of physical as something they can actually touch.
 

Willamena

Just me
Premium Member
[COLOR=#00a0d]I suppose for the pixels exist, physically.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#00a0d]Physical is hard to define, but I think it's anything made of material, anti-matter or matter. Unlike mental thoughts such as hallucinations.[/COLOR]
Is gravity physical, in this sense?



...:no:
 
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