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Soulful musings.
It's funny, but the recent storyline in the Spike comics (both ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
moscow_watcher and rahirah have posts on it) has had precisely zero impact on my view of the 'verse. And not just because I don't see the comics as canon. Thing is - I've been there, done that, and written both an essay and a fic on that very topic, and from what I can tell, the comic does not contradict anything I've said. (This is what comes of having been around for ages. I've got nothing new to say...)
Links for this interested:
Essay: Souls and redemption in the Buffy verse. (tl;dr in the extreme. No really. It's the longest essay I've ever written.)
Fic: Lost Soul. (Written for the second![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
summer_of_spike. Spike loses his soul, AtS S5. Some wackiness ensues...)
Either of these will explain my views perfectly (although the fic is shorter). Very briefly, however, then yes, of course a soulless vampire can choose to do good (see S5-6). But... a soulless creature doesn't really understand good and evil. It's like life is one of those 3D pictures, and without a soul you can't see the hidden picture. (Or something. I know exactly what I believe, but I can't explain it succinctly. Hence the lengthy writing.)
moscow_watcher and rahirah have posts on it) has had precisely zero impact on my view of the 'verse. And not just because I don't see the comics as canon. Thing is - I've been there, done that, and written both an essay and a fic on that very topic, and from what I can tell, the comic does not contradict anything I've said. (This is what comes of having been around for ages. I've got nothing new to say...)Links for this interested:
Essay: Souls and redemption in the Buffy verse. (tl;dr in the extreme. No really. It's the longest essay I've ever written.)
Fic: Lost Soul. (Written for the second
summer_of_spike. Spike loses his soul, AtS S5. Some wackiness ensues...)Either of these will explain my views perfectly (although the fic is shorter). Very briefly, however, then yes, of course a soulless vampire can choose to do good (see S5-6). But... a soulless creature doesn't really understand good and evil. It's like life is one of those 3D pictures, and without a soul you can't see the hidden picture. (Or something. I know exactly what I believe, but I can't explain it succinctly. Hence the lengthy writing.)
no subject
All the comics suck, no matter who they're placating to.
of course a soulless vampire can choose to do good
I've always been in the middle on that point. Can they choose to do good? Sure, but with the caveat that it suits their interest. Spike's loyal, it's why I've always liked him, and that loyalty led him down a unique path, but I've never been able to say I thought he was good in the sense of good.
Meh, it's all a tired debate, I agree.
no subject
Word.
Can they choose to do good? Sure, but with the caveat that it suits their interest.
*nods* It's a thorny issue, and one where Spike was rather unique. Harmony was 'good' whilst working at W&H, but still didn't show an iota of guilt when she thought she'd accidentally killed Toby. Hmmm. That's a good example. I shall have to amend the post. :)
no subject
Also Angelus kills the Beast but not because it was the good thing to do, he did it out of ego. Similar to Spike saving the world in S2 but a different motive.
I just really can't get my head around people thinking he was Good pre-soul.