Superorganism Development

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Development Beyond Tribal Stage
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Early isolated tribes were a primitive form of human-based superorganism, limited to small geographical areas. Their existence emerged from relatively simple behavioral constraints that bound their component members together within a shared of common infrastructure. Within a tribe, there was a sense of community property as well as some individual ownership. The tribe structure provided a basis of trust for simple cohesive interaction and sharing among its members. Other tribes were viewed as competitive for resources and land, and little or no trade between tribes took place. These early superorganisms had fixed structural designs that, like their human organism components, did not change significantly within their lifespans. Actions of tribal members were highly predetermined, with little freedom of choice in deciding how they would live or what kind of work they would do.
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For a superorganism to grow beyond this stage, members of different tribes had to learn to cooperate, interact and share resources with each other. In terms of superorganism structural development, the purpose of such interaction was to extend governance control and the sharing of resources across a wider population and geographical area. A merging of tribes allowed greater efficiency and specialization of work in performing the superorganism’s life functions, strengthening its ability to survive and adapt in a changing environment. A key requirement for further integration of a multi-tribal population into a nation/state was the development of a market infrastructure.
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Need for Markets
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In this context, the term “market” is used to refer to any kind of free trade mechanism that facilitates the operation of supply and demand across populations of a geographical area, for the good of both the superorganism and its component organisms. Markets provided the flexibility needed for a more complex kind of superorganism to carry out its life functions and maintain homeostasis while interacting with a broader and more variable environment. They are integral to the more complex structure of a multi-tribe superorganism.
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Markets Are the Circulatory System of a Nation-State Superorganism

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Creation of markets required further development of the superorganism's infrastructure to include mechanisms for property ownership, mediums of exchange, and enforcement of agreed-upon trade contracts, as well as market-sensitive manufacturing, transportation and communication structures. Today's superorganisms include a variety of market types, such as products, services, real estate, jobs, worker skills, etc. A key prerequisite for the functioning of these markets is the freedom for both seller and buyer to make individual choice, where they can decide who they will trade with and what terms they will require for an exchange. Even under duress, a market trade requires the voluntary participation of both parties.
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Freedom of Choice
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For a market exchange to take place, decisions have to be made by each of the participating parties. The seller needs to estimate the market value of his property, set an appropriate price, and establish his required terms for the agreement. The buyer needs to determine his need for that kind of property, and its value to him in terms of price, schedule and other agreement factors.
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Both seller and buyer are free to choose whatever price and terms they want, but the market will strongly influence whether or not their choices are viable for such an exchange to take place. In most markets, there is a collective determination of price and terms which fluctuates over time, depending on supply and demand. Either seller of buyer can decide whether or not the current market price and terms meet his needs at this time. Although individual financial pressure or pressing need may strongly influence this decision, it is still a matter of choice.
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Development of Markets Required the Development of Free Choice

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The development of markets as part of a superorganism's integral structure required that its component organisms have an ability to participate in voluntary trade exchanges by exercising the complex decision-making process of free choice. But the development of such free choice capabilities by human organisms could not have occurred unless some degree of market infrastructure was in place. This chicken-and-egg situation indicates that the development or both mechanisms had to proceed incrementally, in concert.

The market/free-choice interdependency raises some interesting implications about the development of dependent human organisms, and their view of life within a superorganism environment. Dependent Organisms explores these questions and their implications for the way humans comprehend the world.