This was an interesting conversation on Twitter that I am sharing here.

SecularOutpost:

THIS is absolutely brilliant and well-stated. If I could like this 1,000 times, I would. There should be a law guaranteeing the right to bodily autonomy.

Dr. James Anderson:

For a metaphysical naturalist, what is it that owns a body, and how is it distinct from the body owned? Serious question, not a gotcha.

SecularOutpost:

That’s an interesting question I’ve never thought about before. I am inclined to say that the body owns itself. I know you said this isn’t a gotcha, but what philosophical mine have I just detonated?

Dr. James Anderson:

Too soon to say whether any particular mine has been detonated.

I’m just thinking that locutions of the form “X owns Y” or “Y belongs to X” typically presuppose that X ≠ Y. It seems odd to say “X owns X”.

SecularOutpost:

I see