The idea of “the battle for the soul of America” has been central to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. The use of the word “soul” here refers to the moral essence of both individuals and nations, rather than a religious connotation.
Each human being possesses a soul, which gives them infinite value and dignity and renders them equal to one another in terms of their essence. Our souls are where moral sentiments and moral yearnings come from, and it is this aspect of consciousness that holds us morally responsible for our actions.
Donald Trump and Trumpism are embodiments of an ethos that appears to reject the concept of the soul. It is an ethos characterized by amoral realism, in which the strong act as they please and the weak inevitably suffer. Selfishness is valorized, cruelty and dishonesty are seen as important skills, and the individualistic pursuit of power and gain is paramount.
The contrast between democracy and authoritarianism is a contest between systems that value the dignity and worth of individual souls and those that rely on dominance and submission. The upcoming presidential election is essentially a choice between these two systems – one that is moral, and the other that is amoral.
The soul of a person and that of a nation are perpetually in flux, constantly oscillating between elevation and degradation. The Trump presidency was a reminder that a return to an ethos of amoral realism would lead to social and moral disintegration. This upcoming election is not merely a battle between Democrats and Republicans or liberals and conservatives; instead, it is a contest between decency and its opposite.
![Apple simply launched new AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 firmware for all customers [U] – 9to5Mac](https://9to5mac.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/09/airpods-4.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1600 "Apple simply launched new AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 firmware for all customers [U] – 9to5Mac")
