How do you determine the value of a human being? (See details.)?

Question

Is an educated person more valuable than one who is uneducated (and the same age)?

Is a 20-year-old worth more or less than one of 60-year-old?

Is a woman worth more or less than a man?

Is a doctor worth more or less than a plumber? Or a teacher? Or a clergy member?

Is someone with faith worth more or less than an atheist/agnostic?

What criteria would you use to judge the value of a human being?

Answer 1

I think we attach value based on our personal connection.
So, for an obvious example, we place great value on our children, brothers/sisters, parents, etc...
We place value on those who think and feel the way we do, and we place less value on those who think and feel differently.
The broader our thinking, the more likely we are to find some value in a more diverse group of people.
The more narrow our thinking, the less likely we are to find value in diverse groups of people.
There's my 2 cents.

Answer 2

An educated person is more valuable than an uneducated one.

In a state of nature, it is more efficient to save the life of a 20 year old, however, neither is more valuable in a civilized situation.

In a state of nature, a woman, who can bear children, is more valuable than a man, however, neither is more valuable in a civilized situation.

Doctors and teachers are worth more than plumbers and clergy members.

I value the latter more than the former, however that does not mean that person is less or more valuable to society: their actions determine that.

I judge most people on intelligence.

Answer 3

I don't think ANY of those are capable of determining a human's value.
Age definitely has nothing to do with it so, no, a 20-yr-old isn't worth more/less than a 60-yr-old.
A woman isn't more OR less worth than a man; both have equal importance and value for the society, but their values/importances are just different.
Same goes for the other points you've mentioned....
"I" believe that a person's value is determined by the good that he/she does to and for others (and definitely for him/herself). Being helpful, kind, truthful/honest, patient, tolerant of others...
I consider such people to be superior to those who don't bear these morals (and some others... or at least some of these).

Answer 4

Several groups wind up addressing this issue in real life scenarios. Rescue agencies address the question in both dollars and risk to rescuers. What probability of retrieving a person alive justifies an allocation of resources. Organ transplants services also have to make such decisions. Years of life saved plus probability of compliance with anti-rejection therapy and cessation of behaviors that will compromise the transplanted organ are factored in.

Education can be defined as societies investment in a person. A 20-year-old has more years of life left. Women are valued very differently in different circumstances, and none are necessarily rational.

Our society is sufficiently redundant that few individuals are not redundant. There are a few individuals at the top of their professions who really are irreplaceable.

Answer 5

Billionaire or pauper, a human being will die one day. A human being is worthless because life here on earth doesn't last forever. As a creation of God, every human being is valuable to the Creator. Christians or non-christians, atheists or agnostics, saints or sinners, they are all precious in the eyes of God. God is not a respecter of a person. He send His only Son to die on the cross for everyone, for all mankind. To God's eyes, man or woman. young or old are equal regardless of color, race or religion.

Answer 6

Under what circumstances would one have to judge the value of a human being? All human beings are of equal value: talented or ordinary, smart or stupid, attractive or ugly, Jew or Gentile, male or female, believer or unbeliever... We must say that all are of equal value, because their value is indeterminable -- since they are ultimately unfathomable loci of freedom and experience, no matter what their mental capacities.

Answer 7

All sentient beings desire to be happy and are worthy of being treated with kindness and altruism. Nobody is inherently any one thing. All human life is valuable, no matter what the perceptions of the person might be by others.

_()_

Answer 8

I don't think you should place a value on someone's head. It's not your job. Just try to increase your own contribution to society and help others to do the same--everyone wins.

Answer 9

Hello NH Baritone,
My root assumption is that all beings, human and otherwise, are priceless. Comparing individual 'worthiness' at the levels you suggest is basically meaningless...

Answer 10

I don't judge the value of human beings. That's not my place.