The biologist that is me is a big fan of the 'Self-Dispersal Theory' which posits that the fundamental purpose of Self is Companionship otherwise known as Love which is why Self is Diverse in Life. This rather awesome holistic perspective aligns surprisingly well with all scientific disciplines including but not limited to anthropology, biology, cosmology et al. An added bonus is that it corresponds nicely with the teachings of Jesus as described in the New Testament which center around Love. So basically everybody happy. In theory.
~ Wald Wassermann