Self-Deception Is A Necessary Tool, Sometimes

'You have no soul. You're not capable of doing anything selfless.' - Angel, to Drusilla, Angel & Faith #7.

My first reaction to that quote was irritation, followed by recognition that while a questionable claim, it's one that served as keystone to a lot of pyramids for the Buffyverse in general, and Angel in particular.

The irritation first. What about Spike? He fought alongside the Scoobies off and on from the climax of Season 2, through most of Season 6, without a soul. Yes, he was often working towards something. Wanting Dru back, needing blood, being in love with Buffy, but what about the summer she was dead? He stuck around and helped protect Sunnydale, because of a promise to a dead woman, who he believed lost to him forever? I suppose the selflessness of it could be called into question if we take the view that Spike wanted acceptance, and figured the Scoobies were a better bet than other demons, who regarded him as a turncoat. Turns out the Scoobs weren't much better, but you could argue he was trying to get something out of that as well. Still, to put himself at risk for people who barely tolerated him, because he wanted to keep his word, sounds at least close to selfless.

Still, we'll move on. What about Clem, or especially Lorne? Lorne helped Angel on several occasions, at great cost to himself, his club, and probably to his sense of self when he killed people for Angel in the series finale. Or Darla staking herself so Connor could be born? She's a vampire, what did she care about some baby that was only making life harder for her?

In this particular case, Dru admits she'd get something out of helping Angel, like she gets blood from these people who come to her looking for relief from their inner torments. It isn't a selfless act, but that hardly proves she's incapable of them, and it would seem there are other examples of beings with no soul (which seems to be defined as what animates a human being, versus whatever keeps vamps and demons moving) that could call that claim into dispute as well.

Still, Angel holding to it isn't a surprise. The concept one must have a soul to be worth something holds considerable sway in the Buffyverse. Buffy Season 6 tried to drive this home with the attempt to prove Spike couldn't be worthy of Buffy without one. What they actually succeeded in demonstrating was beings are capable of good and evil with a soul or without (Spike, but also Willow, Buffy, Xander), and one can very easily hurt someone they love (Spike and Xander were both guilty on that one). I doubt that was the intent. Buffy certainly felt Spike was more deserving of help come Season 7, when he had a soul, than the year before when he was steadily breaking down trying to love and help someone who desperately needed him one moment, and treated him like garbage the next. Maybe the Scoobs have smartened up about this particular blind spot of theirs in the comics, one can only hope.

This distinction between "soul = may be good or evil", and "no soul = EVIL!" is especially important for Angel, because it feeds into that martyr complex he has. As Drusilla pointed out, Angel acts as though he and Angelus are two different entities, and only one inhabits the body at a time. As long as Soul Boy is around, Angelus is not. If Angel gets his moment of perfect happiness, away he goes and here comes Angelus, trying to end the world or terrorize through tedious mind games.

This gives Angel the perfect excuse to play the suffering hero, because he can't take the chance on perfect happiness. He gets to make every saved life about how much he sacrifices. He could have fun, but if he did that, he might lose his soul, so instead he's going to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, and make a big show of it in the process. Why, he even cut off contact with his son, that's how much he cares about protecting others (sarcasm)! Never mind his kid is a superpowered human offspring of two vampires, who is going to have unsavory types interested in him whether dad's around or not, and it might be good to have Angel as a regular presence those unsavory types have to consider before trying something. Nope, that's sacrificed on the altar of Angel's suffering, too.

Yes, Angel is right to be concerned about Angelus getting loose. But it's disingenuous to act as though Angel is the good guy and Angelus the bad guy. Going by some of his past actions, either Angelus is entirely capable of slipping out past the soul, or Angel's soul is a least a little receptive to the demon's suggestions. It's more convenient for him to not think of it that way, like it was more convenient of the Scoobies to keep Spike on the outside regardless of how many times he helped them. If they accepted that the soulless vampire might actually be at least a little trustworthy, it would upset their metaphysical apple carts.

It really shouldn't hold up now, though, with so many vampires following Harmony's rules, and restraining themselves from killing or siring. Presumably all those vampires are also soulless, and yes, they get something from it (blood, adulation), but they could get more by breaking the rules, and it would simply require rolling the dice as to whether a Slayer will catch them in the act and end them.