How our beliefs about the soul have developed through the ages, and why an understanding of it still matters today

The concept of the soul has been a recurring area of exploration since ancient times. What do we mean when we talk about finding our soul, how do we know we have one, and does it hold any relevance in today's scientifically and technologically dominated society? From Socrates and Augustine to Darwin and Freud, In Search of the Soul takes readers on a concise, accessible journey into the origins of the soul in Western philosophy and culture, and examines how the idea has developed throughout history to the present. Touching on literature, music, art, and theology, John Cottingham illustrates how, far from being redundant in contemporary times, the soul attunes us to the importance of meaning and value, and experience and growth. A better understanding of the soul might help all of us better understand what it is to be human. In Search of the Soul is a testimony to how the soul remains a profoundly significant aspect of human flourishing.

"This book helps inspire us to turn away from these cheap substitutes for something more human and more real. The nature of the human soul is a large topic, and readers will get much from this book to fuel their own thoughts on what remains of the human soul in the twenty-first century."---Laurie M. Johnson, The European Legacy