If that's your definition of a "spirit", then it's an excellent reason to call what the Orlanthi, Malkioni, Kralori, etc, believe in a "soul". Those sound to me like poetic or metaphorical uses of the word "spirit" (unless one has become a ghost).
The distinction is only really meaningful to either: a) contrast two cultures' view on what exactly a soul/spirit is; or b) when a given culture believes in both, as metaphysically distinct entities in some way. For example, the Malkioni believe in a "spirit" which dissipates on death, and a "soul" which goes to Solace in Glory (if you're a good boy). Though whether those are the best terms to use to distinguish these concepts from the Malkioni PoV is another matter. Since as has been pointed out, the Pelorians believe in 5, 6, or 7 "soul parts", they're another case in point, but we kind of run out of applicable terms rather quickly.
> Sure, but our (Western, reductionist) danger is always to assume
> that things which are universal here are universal in Glorantha. Greg
> put the God Learners in there to stop us from doing this (or to
> remind us not to), which is why I referred to talk of souls as God
> Learnerish.
I think Greg actually put the God Learners in to "Greg" himself. (Perhaps the original definitive (and reflexive) instance of such?) His earliest writings (written from when I was 0 years, alarmingly) were written from this perspective, quite shamelessly and without irony, only for him later to decide it was not quite right, and hence to consign them to the dustbin of history (and write other Gloranthan stuff from much different points of view).
He's also said the GLers were in many ways quite correct. They're a cautionary tale all right, but not simply of being Wrong, but of misapplied truths.
Slainte,
Alex.
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