Paul used the human body (corpus in Latin) as a metaphor for society, suggesting that in a healthy society, as in a healthy body, every organ must be preserved and none permitted to die. As a public-policy credo, corporatism has come to mean that the government must support all members of society, whether individuals or organizations, giving support to failing businesses and protecting existing jobs alike.
菲尔普斯强调，社团主义思维有着悠久的历史，可以追溯到《新约》十四章的作者圣保罗（Saint Paul）。保罗讲人体（拉丁语称为corpus）比喻为社会，指出健康的社会正如健康的人体，每个器官都必须得到保护，不能让任何一个死去。作为公共政策教条的社团主义则是指政府必须支持所有社会成员，不管是个人还是组织，支持倒闭企业、保护现有工作岗位等。