I am one person, with a name given to me at my birth. I am unique because no one else has lived my
life exactly as I have. I arose from a
single cell and now am composed of some 20 trillion cells. I learned as an undergraduate
that my cells are capable of forming four types of tissues—nerves, muscles, connective
tissues, and epithelial tissues. The
connective tissues form a matrix around them like blood, bone, or
cartilage. Epithelial cells form the lining
of organs like skin, or the insides of guts or blood vessels. When I signed up for a course in histology
(the study of tissues) at NYU I was given a box with 100 slides in them. Each had different representatives of the four
types of tissues. We had to learn to
recognize all of them. As I reflected on what I learned about biology, I realized
that while I am one person, I am a community of cells. I am a cooperative community of cells because
I can move with the use of my muscle cells.
I can secrete digestive enzymes because of my epithelial cells. I can receive oxygen for my tissues because
red blood cells do that. I can think
because I have nerve cells. Each tissue
has its own collection of cells modified for a special function. Muscle can be voluntary like those in our
hands or feet. They can be involuntary
like those in our blood vessels or intestines. Heart muscle forms a third type
of muscle that can pump away for a life time without prolonged rest. By
contrast imagine doing billions of pushup exercises without tasking a rest! There
are no rugged individualist cells that can transform themselves as they
wish. Tired of being an epithelial
cell? Try being a nerve cell or a muscle
cell. Sorry, you can’t. The closest
thing to being a rugged individualist for one of my cells would be if it became
a tumor cell. It would respect no boundaries; it would spread out and metastasize. It would from colonies. But it would also
kill me if it got away with being an unregulated or untreated cancer.
Now shift mental gears.
Think of society, our own American society. We have over 300 million people living
here. To make society work we become wage
earners (white collar or blue collar), we provide services (teaching, law, medicine,
banking, and ministry). We also provide
governance (elected and appointed officials and self appointed plutocrats who
purchase influence). We provide
entrepreneurs (from Mom and Pop shops to major corporations or cartels). We farm. Unlike a living person like me, a
society is not an individual entity.
There are states with regional differences. There are differences between rural and urban
living. There are inequalities of wealth at birth (some born poor and others
born rich). There is mobility for some (or going from rags to riches as we like
to believe). Rugged individualists are
numerous. Some are like cancers and they
leave a wake of ruin from those they oppress, exploit, or destroy
(economically). Others are just extremely talented as artists, performers,
writers, or investors. All the cells of a human body require roughly the same
amount of oxygen, metabolic nutrient, and waste removal. Humans in society vary enormously in attaining
both basic needs and opportunities. When societies have too much of inequality,
discrimination, elitism, neglect, or sexism, societies can suffer and
experience revolutions or cease their influence like fallen empires. This is
why “the body politic” is a mischievous term.
This is why calling a corporation an individual person is troublesome.
Analogies have their values for teaching but they should not be confused with
the complexities of communities that science and reason reveal about their
composition and functions.
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