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What is a “self”? The course begins by examining the emergence of the modern “Western” self, and its intertwinement with Protestantism, capitalism, and colonialism. How does this self differ from collectivist societies or from Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain ontologies? Shifting to the contemporary, we examine how the self comes into question when life is on the cusp: at birth, in sickness and disability, and in death. Finally, we probe the challenges to personhood in an era of CRISPR gene-editing technology, transhumanism, and AI. Our central question is not just “what is personhood” but “what is life? And what is its value?” Global in span, the course draws together historical analysis, classical and contemporary social theory and current research in anthropology, sociology, and science and technology studies.