What Is the Worth of a Single Human Life?

[MineralMan]

To someone who loves that human individual, the worth is very high.
To someone who has no connection to that human, the worth is moderate, at best.
To someone who takes the life of that person, the worth is low.
To organized groups of humans who have the power to take lives, the worth is minuscule.
To deities, apparently, who are supposed to be omnipotent, the worth is nothing at all, apparently.

Human life has a value scale, it seems. Stay close to the ones who love you. They are the only ones who think your life has a high value.

[saidsimplesimon]

1. As a contrarian, idealist

I would posit that all are created equal. My existence is not more, or less worthy. imho

[MineralMan]

2. Ideally, yes, that's true.

Realistically, though, the value is dependent on the person setting it, it seems.

[ollie10]

3. It really depends on your philosophy

Jefferson said....."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Jefferson's view, which was inspired by Enlightenment ideas, is in stark contrast to yours.

I agree with Jefferson, the value of every human being is equal.

It is significant, because this belief influences our values towards government and society in general. If every life is indeed equal, the Lockeian concept of inalienable rights is a natural progression.

For what it's worth

[MineralMan]

4. I'm not talking about the theoretical or philosophical value, obviously.

I'm talking about the actual market value, in real terms. That varies, depending on who is setting the price.

[ollie10]

5. In america, slavery is illegal

So we are not allowed to place a market value on human beings. Humans don't have a price

[Thomas Hurt]

6. Tort law and juries put that a price on humans beings almost everyday in this country.

as well as being maimed or having your constitutional rights violated.

We use money, for good and bad, as a recompense.........or we could return to an eye for an eye.

[ollie10]

8. That reminds me of an old experiment

My memory is not what it should be, so just for the sake of argument I will pose this as a question. There is a button you can push. If you push it, it will send a strong electrical shock to a person in another room, possibly killing him or her. You are offered money to push the button. How much money would it take for you to push that button?

[MineralMan]

7. You are not discussing in a serious way,

So that's it for me.

[ollie10]

9. if you say you are not talking philosophy.....

....you are talking about the market value of human beings......

I can see why you are trying to back track!!!

[MineralMan]

10. ..

[ollie10]

11. ..

[Lordquinton]

12. Jefferson also owned other humans

Do you agree with that as well?

[ollie10]

13. No But do you acknowledge that the Declaration of Independence has value to our country?

And do you see value in the Enlightenment philosophy that Jefferson reflects?

By the way, do you believe all are equal? Or do you believe some are more equal than others?

[Lordquinton]

14. The declaration is an interesting piece of writing

That wasn't, and still isn't, supported by the supporting documents. It's a declaration of war written by people who defined what a human was differently than we do now.

We have built upon their philosophy and vastly improved it, but still have far to go to making it a reality. Anything that was created with the work of slaves needs harsh scrutiny.

I believe all are equal, but are not treated as such.

[ollie10]

15. The supporting documents?

Last edited Thu May 24, 2018, 07:36 AM - Edit history (1)

Huh!?

What,pray tell, are you talking about?

[Lordquinton]

16. Bill of rights and Constitution

Where they didn't support that clause.

[ollie10]

17. Oh my

The Constitution and Bill of Rights were ratified 12 years after the Declaration of Independence!!!

What's more, where the Declaration of Independence put in writing the grievances against the mother country and explained the reasons for independence....the Constitution, unlike the Declaration, was establishing a new republic to replace the Articles of Confederation (which was in between the Declaration and the Constitution).

So they are not "supporting documents" to the Declaration at all.....they were not written within the same decade, and they had totally different purposes. One was written by colonists who at the time were subjects of the King of England wanting to throw off, the other was written by Americans from the various states wanting to form a more perfect union.

Eyes roll....

[uriel1972]

18. Uh...

"Self-Evident Truths", are a very bad argument to use against people who like evidence.
Self-evident truths are illogical and dangerous like all ideals, almost any atrocity can be justified and commited in their name.
First I would like evidence that we were/are created, then that we were/are created equal, that we were/are endowed by this supposed creator with "rights" that can not be taken away.

Look around 'Sunshine', reality shows you second by second that those "Inalienable Rights" can and will be taken away at whim.

Sorry, the world's a shitty mess.

[MineralMan]

19. Jefferson owned slaves. We're they not men?

His truths were only partly true, apparently.