In Jain Dharma, the idea of individual souls is prompted by the observation that every living being has its own consciousness, karma, bondage, and liberation.

Key reasons:

• Each jiva is separate: Every soul is distinct, even if bodies are similar.
• Different experiences: Beings suffer and enjoy according to their own karmas.
• Different capacities: Some souls have more knowledge, less attachment, or greater purity than others.
• Individual liberation: Moksha is not collective; each soul must purify itself and attain liberation on its own.
• Consciousness is personal: The quality of awareness, memory, intention, and effort arises within each soul separately.

So, in Jain philosophy, the concept of individual souls is prompted by the reality that consciousness is not shared as one single entity; instead, innumerable jivas exist, each bound by its own karma and capable of its own liberation through right faith, right knowledge, and right conduct.