It has been reported (although I have not been able to find independent confirmation) that in the USA patents may be granted on a person’s chromosomes if that person has had tissue taken as part of medical treatment. If this is in fact the case, it would mean that someone, other than the individual involved, owns that individual. The individual would not be able to do anything with their body that would infringe on the patent-holder’s rights.
Do we have inalienable rights? How is the balance found between the rights of individuals and the needs of a society? Does personal sovereignty exist?
There are examples of personal coercion we may agree with. For instance, we may not argue with someone who is hurting others being incarcerated to be dealt with by the courts. We may not argue with people being forcibly evacuated from a flooded area or some other natural disaster.
Do you own you? You may live your life on the basis that you are a free agent, that you own your body and that you control your mind. You may assume that, as long as you obey all the laws and treat others properly, you can do what you want. To a large extent this is so, but not entirely.
In an earlier post, I pointed out that it is actually impossible for doctors to keep up with all new discoveries and developments in medicine. Is your doctors’ lack of knowledge their fault? Or is your being at the receiving end of medical ‘error’ an example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?