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<\/a><\/span>Yesterday in my Religion and Science class<\/a> we talked about what is meant by the \u2018soul<\/a>\u2018 and how it relates to other terminology such as \u2018mind\u2019 and \u2018brain\u2019. One of the students, Andrew Gillen, had some thoughts that were so interesting I just have to write them down and also share them. (That\u2019s the great thing about blogs, of course \u2013 you can do both those things at once).<\/p>\nWe were discussing some excerpts from the book Whatever Happened to the Soul? Scientific and Theological Portraits of Human Nature<\/a> Andrew\u2019s insight was to relate this to animals and human beings from a modern scientific perspective. When we bring an animal, such as a cat or dog, into our family, we \u201cenable its soul\u201d in two ways. First, we provide for its needs so that it does not have to spend all its time concerned to find food and in other ways provide for these basic necessities of existence. There has been research on the connection between human beings achieving the possibility of leisure time<\/i> and significant cultural developments. Second, we relate to the animal in a personal way, and most of us have seen this elicit what appears to be reciprocal personal interaction from animals, to however limited an extent.<\/p>\n There also seem to be converse examples, of human children raised in the wild, without human socialization (or at least without normal or even adequate socialization) whose behavior is primarily \u2018animal\u2019. There are more legends than well-documented cases of such \u2018feral children<\/a>\u2018, but what is known is certainly significant<\/a>.<\/p>\n In Andrew\u2019s view, all living things have \u2018souls\u2019 to some extent (even plants<\/a>). The question is whether they have the opportunity to develop and cultivate these facets of their existence or not. I would want to qualify that, in light of the evidence from psychological studies of feral children and clever animals<\/a> (to allude to the study by Douglas Keith Candland, whose 1993 book by that title, published by Oxford University Press, is available online via Questia<\/a>). What evidence there is suggests that, while nurture<\/i> is clearly important, particularly in crucial early years, nature<\/i> is also significant, as is obvious to anyone who compares how far humans have the potential<\/i> to develop linguistic and social abilities compared with most other animals. John McCrone\u2019s short piece \u201cFeral Children\u201d<\/a> in The Lancet<\/i> 2.2 (February 2003) 132 summarizes the situation nicely.<\/p>\n Our society is committed to the equality of, and providing equal opportunities for, adult human beings. Some also fight over the rights of those still in the womb. But the most neglected group are those in between, from birth onward. In those formative years<\/a>, how one is treated, one\u2019s social interactions, whether one is read to \u2013 so many factors determine whether one will enter adulthood on a level footing or with an unfair disadvantage. If we wish to have equality for adults, we must do more for our society\u2019s children. We must provide opportunities for their cultivation \u2013 whether we call it their minds or their souls. It is not enough to give those who manage to graduate high school equal opportunity at college \u2013 we must find ways of providing all the forms of stimulation the very young need in their most crucial formative years \u2013 stimulation mental and musical, social and spiritual.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.assoc-amazon.com\/e\/ir?t=jamefmcgrshom-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0800631412\")
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