A Worldwide Culture of Souls SCRIPT

By Kat Eaton

CHARACTER LIST
Voice Over (VO) Kat
Dr. Marcus Draeven Lawrence
o Field expert on Greco-Roman culture
o Curator of The Obscure art museum
Dr. Vanessa Snart Jen
o Head of Anthropology at Korn University (Wamego,
Kansas)
o Acupuncture Enthusiast
Professor Rita Ramirez my mom
o Professor of European History at Butte College (Butte,
Montana)
o Author of Dissecting Frankenstein: A Study in Mary
Shellys Novel Work
Interviewer Jack or me

SCRIPT
Black screen. Logos my own, a fake History Channel one, maybe
one other. Screen brightens. Shot of nature with birds chirping
and everything.

VO: All around the world, different cultures from different periods
of time have come up with the concept of a soul. The ancient
Greeks called it pneuma, the Chinese called it qi, and other
cultures have other names for it chi, mana, ruah, lng, and
manitou are just a few. In Western philosophy, the soul is defined
as the vital spark, energy, or principle obviously,
something vital for life.

Scene change to a soul picture, or a flickering candle. Something

artsy. Idk.

VO: According to the concept of vitalism, all living beings have

within them this vital principle, and that is why they are alive
(vitalism, n. OED Online). They may not share the same names,
but cultures around the globe with little to no contact with one
another developed this ideology of the soul. But how did that
happen? And why? What could that tell us about humanity?

Scene darkens during last sentence. Title sequence: History

Channel opening with the title A Worldwide Culture of Souls.
Nature shots again.

VO: For this segment, well be focusing on three cultural eras in

human history. Greco-Roman culture, ancient Chinese philosophy,
and the Enlightenment Era. Though vitalism in all three of these
cultures is astonishingly similar, it is important to first bring out
their differences.

Scene change to Dr. Marcus Draeven sitting in a study. His name

appears at the bottom, followed by Field expert on Greco-Roman
culture, curator of The Obscure art museum.

DRAEVEN: You see, when it comes to life in ancient Greece and

Rome, there are two different fields that sort of define vitalism.
The first is, obviously, mythology.

Show pictures and paintings of Prometheus and Zeus and all that
jazz.

DRAEVEN: Now, in Greco-Roman mythology, the titan Prometheus

is responsible for bringing humanity to life. He sculpted man out
of clay in the image of the gods and, in most myths, breathed
life into the figures. Its actually up to debate what actually
brought humanity to life; some claim it was actually Athena that
did the breathing, not Prometheus. Sometimes its the fire that
Prometheus stole from Zeus. Sometimes its even Ouranoss
blood in the clay. Myths tend to get a little messy like that. But
whatever it was, humanity as we know it sprang from this guy
Prometheus making us out of clay, plus some sort of extra
element that could only have been the vital spark.

Go back to DRAEVEN again, to shift topics.

DRAEVEN: Now, the other aspect of this, especially in Greco-
Roman culture, would be philosophy. Specifically ancient Greek
philosophy. They even had a name for the vital spark they called
it pneuma, which literally translates to the breath of life.

Pictures of ancient philosophers and stuff. Also, matter,

vegetation, animals, and human brain. Then go back to DRAEVEN.

DRAEVEN: Now, the pneuma here isnt just found in humans, its
found everywhere. Literally in everything. Which is much closer to
the actual scientific theories of today, if you think about it. There
were four tiers of pneuma. The first held matter together, the
second brought stuff like vegetation to life, the third was found in
animals, and the fourth was for humans. This fourth one was
called the rational soul; supposedly, it allowed humans to pass
judgment and think logically, instead of just following base
instincts. Obviously, even among the ancient philosophers,
humans were seen as a sect apart from all these other beings.

Some shots with music in the back of ancient classical stuff,

whatever. Fill the space. Then transition to Dr. Vanessa Snart.
Under scroll: Head of Anthropology at Korn University,
Acupuncture Enthusiast.

SNART: Vitalism in Chinese philosophy is honestly such a

fascinating topic. Its called qi the Chinese character can
actually mean anything from breath to vital energy to even
anger. According to their philosophy, qi was sort of this energy
force that flowed through everything in the world, and
understanding its rhythm and flow would enable one to find
balance and longevity.

Relatable images, you know the drill.

SNART: Qi itself was sort of separated into fractions that formed

different elements. The heaviest qi made up solids, then next
came liquids, and the most ethereal was the so called animating
breath of life in living beings. This ethereal qi was the stuff that
swirled around in your body. According to their beliefs, there are
natural patters of flowing and pooling energy in the body, and any
imbalance or blockage of this energy can lead to illness or death.
Fascinatingly, yin and yang are also called the greatest of qi. Yin
and yang are literal representations of balance. Apparently,
balance was a huge part of the vital spark in Chinese culture.

Some more images. Then on to Enlightenment Era. Enter

Professor Rita Ramirez. Under scroll: Professor of European
History at Butte College (Butte, Montana), Author of Dissecting
Frankenstein: A Study in Mary Shellys Novel Work

RAMIREZ: Now, the Enlightenment Era was huge in redefining life

as we know it, both in general and with the actual definition.
Vitalism as a philosophy exploded during this time period. It was
mostly influenced by Christian and Greco-Roman beliefs, which
had resurfaced during the Renaissance, and became this
completely new ideal. And whats really amazing is all three of
these aspects Christian, Classical, and the then modern beliefs
in vitalism all came together in Mary Shellys Frankenstein.

Pictures of Enlightenment Era stuff, and then Frankenstein stuff.

VO: Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelly and published in

1818, at the end of the Enlightenment Era. Its said that Mary
Shellys book one of the first horror science fiction novels ever
kick started the modern science fiction genre, as well as the
horror genre, and has of course been featured in remakes ever
since.

Clip from the original Frankenstein movie

RAMIREZ: Whats hilarious about Frankenstein is that in todays

culture, people believe the whole point is warning people not to
play god. Victor Frankenstein tried to create life, and it turned into
a monster, and that should warn the rest of us not to try and
obtain that power for giving life. But if you examine it more
closely, that really isnt the case. In fact, its really a story about
empowering humanity as a whole. All you have to do is look past
the obvious.
Pictures, then a storm video or outside weather or other stuff.

VO: Why has vitalism been so prevalent in all these cultures and
religions, and still is to some extent in modern day? What
question does it try to answer? Well vitalism, like most all
philosophies, is a theory of existence. It tries to answer the
question that everyone wants to understand: why are we alive?

Picture of Why are we alive? all fancy.

VO: The answer vitalism gives us is simple. It separates the living

from the nonliving by using a vital spark, or presenting us with
some mystical energy that has organized the universe for us.
Humans, in almost every culture, are either the only ones with the
spark, or they have a special form of it. We, as a species, crave
feeling special. Why have we built all these amazing things, have
empires that have risen and fallen, and can even ponder the
nature of our existence? What has elevated us to think beyond
our base, primal needs? The answer, an answer we all love to
hear, is vitalism; we have a special spark inside us all. Its why
were alive, its why were not like everything else on the planet.
And how different cultures answer that is the key to
understanding them.

Idk Ill figure something out for the images here. Shift back to
DRAEVEN.

DRAEVEN: Its interesting, really. In Greco-Roman mythology,

humanity was shaped in the image of the gods. We were sculpted
by Prometheus to look like the gods, and naturally, that would
mean wed act like the gods. But the gods in Greek and Roman
myths arent these amazing, omnipotent beings that know whats
best for everyone the Greeks and Romans came up with very
human gods, gods that ravished and pillaged and demanded
sacrifices, but could also be kind and merciful and beautiful and
wise. The gods themselves were humans, and if humanity was
given life from these gods, then they, naturally, would be human
too.
Think about it. The Greco-Roman culture was a magnificent
culture; it spanned across the globe, and the Romans ruled for
longer than any other culture in the history of the world. They
were an incredibly powerful, influential group of people that let
their baser human instincts show. They could be cruel and
murderous and hedonistic, yet they had the capacity for love and
art and infrastructure. It was a very human culture. And
unsurprisingly, the gods that gave them life were a rather human
bunch as well.

Shift

VO: Even more fascinating is the Greco-Roman philosophical

definition of life. Ancient classical philosophy originated in Athens,
the birthplace of the worlds first democratic government and
home to many of the ancient worlds philosophers. In Athens,
logic, intelligence, and the ability to pass impartial judgment upon
ones fellows were the most valued traits an individual could have.

DRAEVEN: And understanding this, it makes perfect sense the

highest form of pneuma would be the so-called rational soul.
Rationality, in this culture, was their highest value, and thats
reflected in their definition of life.

Shift

SNART: Well, you see, Ancient Chinese philosophy is all balance

and flow. Remember the pooling and flowing qi in your body? With
a well-integrated willpower, it was believed you could control that
flow of qi and achieve perfect balance and longevity, as well as a
deeper understanding of the universe. And if you look at what the
Chinese value and really any Asian culture influenced by theirs
too theres a direct correlation. The Chinese value longevity, so
they value their elders. They value balance and wisdom, and
thats what qi can help you achieve. And of course, they value
hard work to attain all these things, which translates to a strong
willpower to control your flow of qi.

Shift
RAMIREZ: The thing about the Enlightenment is that a lot of ideas
came from Christian ideology, which in it of itself was influenced
by Greco-Roman culture. I mean, think about it. In both
Christianity and Greco-Roman mythology, humanity was shaped
in the image of the gods, or the one God, that created them. They
were given life from these deities, and whatever that soul was like
was how they supposedly acted. The difference is that Greco-
Roman mythology had very human gods and goddesses, and
Christianity, well doesnt.

Pictures

RAMIREZ: Lets look at Frankenstein again. Here, you have Victor

Frankenstein, the man who tried to bring something to life, and
the Creature he created. Now, according to Christian beliefs, only
God can bestow the vital spark of life, and when Victor tried it, the
Creature turned out to be a monster. But is that really why he
turned into a manipulative killer? If you look closely at the text,
its not. The Creature himself was honestly more human than a lot
of the human character in the story. When he first comes to life,
hes pure-hearted and has the desire to do good in the world; he
craves his creators love and affection, and all he wants to do is
learn about and admire the beauty and good things in the world.
It isnt until Victor scorns the Creature along with the rest of
humanity that he turns cruel and monstrous.

VO: And therein lies the purpose of the soul in Christianity. The
Christian God is a being of immense power and perfection, and
naturally, anyone with a soul bestowed by this God would strive
for power and perfection as well. But the Creature in Frankenstein
was given his soul from a human source, and that made him
human in nature. Just like in Greco-Roman culture, the Creature
had the potential for good, but was warped into something evil by
those striving towards perfection and control. He was seen as
inhuman despite being the most human of anyone in the novel,
and the dangerous strive for perfection and control and
destruction of things not understood is what destroyed the
Creature in the end.
RAMIREZ: It really wasnt until the Renaissance, and then later the
Enlightenment, when people began to question this complete
control the Church had over everything. The Church itself was like
God in a way immensely powerful and believed to be this
perfect, guiding force. But then people began unearthing the
pagan religions and questioning the purpose of their path. And as
education and knowledge of these other cultures grew, so did the
questioning of those in power. It was during the Enlightenment
when people began viewing the world in a more imperfect, human
way than they had before, and the definition of vitalism during
that time changed because of it.

Shift. Pictures

VO: Though all these different cultures have their own

interpretations of what it means to be human, they still share
some traits. The vital spark in humans can provide rational
thought, the ability to judge, the knowledge of right and wrong,
an understanding of the world, complex thoughts, emotions, and
balance. But no matter their differences, there is one constant
among them all; what a culture values in its people is also what
the vital spark of that culture provides.

DRAEVEN: At times, its interpretation is at the hands of

philosophers and intellectuals; at others, it is redefined by people
in power; at still others, the people themselves learn and
understand what they believe defines living.

SNART: It depends on the time, the place, the culture, the politics,
the religion, the science, and the values.

RAMIREZ: What vitalism means depends on the people.

VO: And understanding vitalism in any culture can lead to an

understanding of the culture itself. People define why they are
alive, what separates them from the rest of the world, by the
things they value most, and that itself defines their humanity. If
we can grasp that, then maybe, just maybe, understanding any
human, culture, or even the universe as a whole, isnt that far
away after all.

End sequence.

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