Oh, I don't define it as altruism--demons are clearly capable of that. I define it as actually caring about "good"--not just about those you care about, but about good as an ultimate goal--and the capacity to selflessly and self-sacrificially love. Which I don't see any evidence of in Clem.

Basically I think what this conversation has convinced me of is that the worldbuilding really IS as sloppy as I've always said it is and the soul thing is very inconsistent. Still, I think Joss was never gonna have Spike attain goodness without the soul, so I'm okay with it. I do think that someone who is better at continuity and willing to take more chances (like, say, you! Or me!) could have balanced all of this a whole lot better. It is disappointing, isn't it?