Human Beings: Apes in Mosaic Form / L'Homme, ce singe en mosaïque

In this essay, Georges Chapouthier proposes what he believes to be one of the fundamental laws of evolution. According to his proposal, the construction of complex organI'ms is achieved by the congregation of simple organI'ms and their ensuing integration by specialization of each of these small parts for specific functions. The model he uses is colonies of coral, which can extend for kilometers. However, insofar as that each element retains its iedividuality, the organI'm resembles a mosaic. Georges Chapouthier shows how this law governs not only the constitution of complex organI'ms but also the very constitution of our brains and our society. The emergence of ideas such as that of liberty can be explained by this model of a mosaic which preserves the identity of its iedividual elements, and thus their diversity.Georges Chapouthier is the director of research at CNRS. He oversees research on personality and adaptive behaviors at the Hospital of La Pitié - Salpêtrière.