In trying to understand what it is to be human, is it helpful to include the concept of a soul (as in "I gave her my heart but she wanted my soul", rather than the supposed magic something that escapes at the moment of expiration to wander among the stars or ascend to flights of angels or wherever)?
I've posted several of my thoughts about what may constitute what we call a soul, other than the magical ghost that most people conceive it to be. It's an interesting question, at least to me.
Not for me. "Self" is a less LOADED word, isn't it?