Philosophical perspectives on the nature of the soul: Current religions views on the human soul vs. what will differentiate man from artificial intelligence

In this audio essay episode, we examine the concept of the human soul across various religious traditions and its intriguing relationship with the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). The soul, revered across cultures as a spiritual essence, is perceived differently by each religious framework; Hinduism describes it as the eternal Atman, Buddhism views the self as non-permanent and ever-changing, and Abrahamic religions regard it as an immortal element subject to divine judgment. Meanwhile, AI challenges these traditional beliefs, as its development in areas like machine learning and neural networks prompts discussion about whether machines could ever possess a soul. The essay raises questions about the nature of consciousness, the boundary between sentient beings and programmed automatons, and whether AI can mirror the consciousness associated with a soul.

Building on these considerations, the essay explores how interdisciplinary approaches can deepen our understanding of the soul. Concepts such as evolutionary psychology, Carl Jung's collective unconscious, emergence theory, and the philosophical arguments of dualism versus physicalism provide various lenses to analyze the soul's nature. Evolutionary psychology approaches the soul as an adaptive mechanism for human social cooperation, while Jung's work suggests it is a manifestation of shared human experiences. Emergence theory envisions the soul as an emergent property of complex systems, and the philosophy debate considers if it is an immaterial essence versus a physicalist phenomenon. Together, these concepts allow us to view the soul not only as a religious or spiritual enigma but also through the pragmatic lens of modern understanding, with AI forcing us to address fundamental questions about the definition and domain of the soul, consciousness, and what it means to be authentically alive.