{The Soul [continued (4)]}[26th October 1988]

[Redbook6:20-21][19881026:2035e]{The Soul [continued (4)]}[26th October 1988]

.2035

[continued]

What emerges from this*, and is borne out by experience, is the existence within Man of two centres or awarenesses at once: the Animal Self (as all animals clearly have awarenesses), and the Spirit. The former is of Separation, the latter of the One. The conflict of these two is acutely felt by many Men in terms of lower and higher impulses. Although dogs, for example, appear to undergo conflict of (say) greed and obligation (or duty),** this seems to arise out of inherited and behaviourally acquired characteristics,*** e.g. in the dog’s nature as a pack animal responding to a leader (Man): there is no evidence that dogs or any other animal are able to generalise these inner conflicts in terms or principles, still less attribute to them a religious dimension. This does not, of course, prove the existence of the Spirit in Man – the Spirit can only be known – but it does indicate the extreme unlikeliness of its existence in **** animals.

*[See last three previous entries, [Redbook6:18-22][19881026:2035b]{The Soul}[26th October 1988]ff]

**This is an uncertain point. <881028>

***[cf [Redbook4:208][19871210:2315e]{The Transfer of Burdens and the Forgiveness of Sins [continued (4)] – (1) Transfer [continued (4)]}[10th December 1987]]

****[Science would include “other” in here, and of course the existence of Man (ie more correctly now, Humans) as animals in a biological sense is undisputed; the distinction implied here, which has been discussed earlier,# is not biological.
See 1^st fn to [Redbook4:88-89][19871003:1650e]{Men and Animals}[3rd October 1987];

& cf [Redbook4:125-126][19871014:2155c]{Generalisation and Specialisation [continued (3)]}[14th October 1987]]

#[See eg [Redbook2:96A][19770109:0000]{Computers, Animals and Man}[9^th January 1977];

[Redbook3:211-214][19870419:1050h](THE STRUCTURE OF TOTALITY)[19th April 1987]&2f;

& especially [Redbook4:88-89][19871003:1650e]{Men and Animals}[3rd October 1987]; also

[Redbook4:92][19871004:0910]{The Communication of Angels}[4th October 1987];

[Redbook4:125-126][19871014:2155c]{Generalisation and Specialisation [continued (3)]}[14th October 1987]; [Redbook5:129][19880529:1222b]{The Colour of Action}[29th May 1988] fn** (extract from [2]);

[Redbook5:298-299][19880816:0928d]{Angels [continued (3)]}[16th August 1988]; [Redbook5:318][19880818:1810f]{Spherical Orientation [continued (23)]}[18th August 1988] fn*** (extract from [2])]

[continues]

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