This work investigates the fundamental criteria for personal identity over time and the relationship between self-consciousness and the persistence of the individual. Brian Garrett, a philosopher specializing in metaphysics and the philosophy of mind, examines the competing theories of what constitutes a person. He evaluates psychological continuity, bodily criteria, and the implications of consciousness for defining the self, providing a rigorous framework for understanding how individuals remain the same entities despite physical and mental changes.

This text is frequently utilized in undergraduate philosophy courses as a concise introduction to the metaphysics of the self. Scholars note that Garrett presents complex analytical arguments with clarity, making it a foundational resource for those beginning their study of personal identity.