Saying that The Twilight Series is about a young girl who falls in love with a vampire doesn't quite do this book justice. Aside from the romance, action and amazing dialog, this book also presents very intriguing philosophical questions about the existence of a soul. Do Vampires have souls?

Edward Cullen (vampire) believed that when you became a vampire, your soul was lost. He lived with six other vampires; Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie. These seven Vampires referred to themselves as vegetarian vampires (which meant that they only drank the blood of animals). Upon meeting Isabella (Bella) Swan, he almost literally goes insane. The smell of her blood was sweeter then any he had ever smelled. In her presence his thirst for blood was strongest. The monster inside him screamed for satisfaction. But Edward Cullen had a strong will, and he managed to restrain himself. As Edward tried to keep a distance from Bella, he also became strangely fascinated with her. Aside from the fact that her blood was his “personal brand of heroine,” he also could not read her mind. Some Vampires are 'born' with supernatural abilities, Edwards ability was 'reading minds'. Bella Swan however, seemed as if she had a brick wall that surrounded her mind. Edward constantly attempted to breach it, but to no avail. Torn by the instinct to kill, the desire to remain clean of human blood, and curiosity, he began to talk to Bella. As they got to know each other, and Edward became accustomed to the smell of her blood, they fell in love. Bella asks him to make her like him, but his answer seems to be an unwavering no. “I will not take her soul.”

Does Edward Cullen have a soul? Every twilight fan in the world would probably answer with a renounding “Yes!” I am here to prove the fans correct.

My first argument is the basic idea of animal instincts. Would you condemn a lion for killing a lamb? Of course not. It is animal instinct to hunt and kill to provide the body nourishment. In the first twelve chapters of Midnight Sun (Edwards perspective in twilight), Edward describes the beast that roars inside him when he catches Bella's scent. Saying his will was only just strong enough to contain it. This leads to the impression that Edward (and every other Vampire) has an animal soul- no free will, condemned to do as instinct tells them. Is it a sin to do what instinct tells you to do? To do what you were created you to do? I realize that this argument is shaky on several points, the first being that the Cullen's do not drink human blood (they are vegetarians). Therefor, the idea of an animal soul (or at least a full animal soul) is inaccurate. The second problem is, if this theory is in fact correct, then the evil vampires in Twilight (Victoria, James, and Laurent) must also be pardoned.

This very problem brings me to my next argument. If Vampires had an animal soul how is it that Edward Cullen was able to resist the temptation that Bella's blood brought upon him? Animals don't have the ability to reason. That would lead us to the assumption that Vampires have souls that are somewhat capable of reason. Edwards ability to reason and his ability to empathize with others is what proves that he does in fact, have a soul. “A Vampires emotional capabilities are morally significant because they mark the difference between an amoral and immoral creature (Philosophy and the Undead. Pg 121.)” Because the Vampires in Twilight are aware of the suffering that they cause, and are able to feel guilt because of it, that itself proves that they do have souls. When the lion kills the lamb, he knows it is the way of nature and shares no sympathy for the lamb. When a Vampire kills a human, he/she is completely aware of the harm that they cause in doing so.

However, even with the proof that Edward Cullen, and all other Vampires have the ability to empathize and reason, we still can't ignore the theory of the animal instincts. Part of a Vampires conscience tells them that they should feed on human blood. If they have a full animal soul, they'd kill to survive, and because instinct tells them to. If they have a human soul (or a soul of reason) then every time they kill it should be considered murder. This causes a problem. What kind of soul does a vampire have? I believe that a Vampires soul is a hybrid. A combination of two separate souls, acting as one. The fact that they are instinctively pressured to hunt and kill humans does excuse them from being damned to hell. However, because they are capable of reason, animal instincts does not excuse them from torturing their food. James and Victoria both like to play with their food. James enjoys what he calls the game. Victoria likes to use her beauty to attract then kill her prey. Because they both torture their victims to intentionally cause harm before they fulfill their animal needs they are to be considered damned. So how do we explain the Cullen family? The Cullen's are exactly what they call themselves-- vegetarians.



“Living off animal blood is like a human living off tofu, you can


survive but you are never truly satisfied (Edward Cullen, Twilight)”.

We as humans are not much different. Where some of us enjoy meat, others find that need repulsive and find alternative ways of surviving (vegetarian).

So what determines whether a Vampire goes to heaven or hell? It is the way they treat their condition. If they choose to give in to their craving, that is considered acceptable. However, if they choose to immorally cause their victims harm they are to be held accountable for their actions.