Concepts of Life builds upon topics from an international conference that was held in May 2004 at the Collège International de Philosophie, in Paris. Organized by Paola Marrati (Johns Hopkins University) and François Roussel (Collège International de Philosophie). "Vie, Concepts, Institutions" brought together scholars from biology, medicine, philosophy, and the history of science to reflect upon the interplay between institutional and legal frames on the one hand, and scientific research on the other hand, in the production of social, individual, and political ideas about life.