Relational bodies

This article argues that debates over the legal status of bodies reveal a much deeper dispute over the nature of the self. In these discussions lawyers and ethicists have much to learn from a more profound understanding of the biological nature of the body. Far from being a static entity, the body is constantly recreating itself. It contains parts that are organisms in their own right. Bodies are dependent upon other bodies and the external environment for survival. The complex biological picture reflects a philosophical truth that bodies are interdependent and "leaky". We should not, therefore, expect a single legal regime, such as property to capture the biological and ethical values that are at stake in relation to every part of the body. A more complex statutory regime is required to recognise the complexity of the interests in, and nature of, different body parts.