Considering the implicit primacy of the individual in a CAS, I must examine the essence of the individual. In particular, the individuals that combine to form – through their collective actions – a system each has it’s own simple purpose regardless any other individual in the CAS. Furthermore, the individual relentlessly pursues its own rather than the group’s purpose, even when the group’s apparent purpose disagrees / differs. Example: every bird in a flock feeds and flees as it sees fit. Another bird may compete as it dives for the same morsel of food, which provokes a fight. Neither bird cares the least about the flock’s well being, nor even about it’s peers; selfishness prevails.

Now take that to a finer level. Although the bird appears to be a whole entity "owned and operated" by its brain, it in fact consists of many organs composed of cells. Do the cells possess this selfishness [or it possess them], with no regard for one another nor for the bird? It appears not. However, an example from the human world shows the cells do act only for their own benefit. During one of the famines in Africa pictures of skeletal children with distended bellies pervaded the media. As it turns out [ref?], when a person reaches that extreme of starvation not only do the cells start consuming one another, the cells of the stomach itself attempt to leave the organism. The bloated belly is an attempted mass migration of stomach cells searching for greener pastures. Clearly the cells serve only themselves and their own well-being, just like birds of a flock. The individual purpose overrides the collective – regardless how cleverly self-organized the group – purpose. Individuality reigns supreme, serving the self-organized group only when the group serves the individual.

How far down does this go? Other researchers have shown or claimed that the cell itself exists only to serve the mitochondria within it. DNA facilitates reproduction & proliferation of primarily the mitochondria; the cell being reproduced by that blueprint merely houses the self-serving organelle. Suppose we skip a few steps down & talk of the atom. Does it have a "goal" it tries to achieve regardless any other atom with which it associates? And if so, does it act autonomously in negative situations in ways that endanger the greater thing of which it is part, e.g., a molecule? Then consider those same questions in regard to atomic parts, protons, neutrons and electrons.