"Are you arguing that the properties of parts of a system (we, human beings) are therefore also properties of the system as a whole (the universe)?"

i am certainly not arguing for that as a general proposition. try this: in a car, the purpose of a hand brake is to prevent movement. that, of course, is not the purpose of a car. but if the hand brake has metal parts (meaning), then the car (universe) most assuredly can be said to contain metal parts (meaning). the applicable logic is a function of the specific property under consideration.

draw a venn diagram. the logic should be clear.