value on human life?

Question

can't you put some value on human life? is the doctor working on the cancer cures life worth more than the meth head pimp in the ghetto? if you believe it is, than technically, you can put assign a value to each individual human life, right? if not, explain how the crack head pimp's life is equally important. if you could only save one from a burning building, do you save the doctor or flip a coin?

wow cheryl....what? way to answer an unbiased question with a biased answer. how do you claim to know what i believe? i didn't insert my belief anywhere. if i ask 'yes or no?' why do you think my answer is yes?

the point of the question is not to find a loophole. say they are equally savable and you know who is who. geez

good answer JP...way to actually put some thought into it...unlike some of these others

Answer 1

All human beings are of equal moral value. However, some human beings utilize their potential to varying amounts, and potential is also modified by age (a 20 year old has much more potential left than an 90 year old, for example).

As such, while all human life is to be respected entirely equally, the ethical calculus of potential provides guidance on how to do so.

Give me a choice between a 20 year old crack head and a 90 year old medical genius, and I will save the crack head every time. The medical genius has clearly made his contribution to society (or he would not be considered a medical genius) and has little life left to live anyways -- he is low potential. The 20 year old crack head may live the rest of his life as a crack head, but he still has significant time to change his life and realize his potential. The greater human potential wins.

However, going back to the question of moral equality, I would be respecting the doctor to save the young man, not disrespecting him. Sometimes the best way to show respect equally to all is to be wise in judging the sacrifices that must be made.

Answer 2

Some vegans seem like they have this view but very few actually do. One of the reasons for this assumption may be that many vegans are against medical testing on animals that has the possibility to save humans. Another reason is that people may see vegans protesting animal neglect and abuse and ask themselves, "Why aren't they protesting the genocides that are happening?" I know some vegans and none value animal life over human life. The belief that vegans value animal life more is just an assumption made by people who don't take the time to understand vegans' viewpoints.

Answer 3

Of course human life has a value. If you rush into the burning building with the potential loss of your own life, you're actually chosing whether YOU, the pimp or the doctor is worth more.

We do put different values on lives. If the person in the burning building is your child, and you say you'd never rush after them FIRST, then you're a liar or a TERRIBLE parent.

People are born equal. What they do thereafter changes their value.

If I didn't know who was in the building, BTW, I'd go after who I thought I could reach, first.

Unfortunately, people in our modern world are SOooooo accustomed to hearing about discrimination on unfair bases (skin color, etc) that they rationalize that when they discriminate on a fair basis (not hiring a pedophile to watch your children, for example) it's not "discrimination."

Answer 4

Well, that brings up Utilitarianism- what would provide the most overall happiness for society. A Utilitarian would save the doctor.

However, value of life is different than sanctity of life. Most believe life is sacred, and life isn't any more or less sacred depending on who you are- it just is in general.

So it depends what you personally value. I'd rescue whoever I had a better chance of saving, because just looking at someone on the outside doesn't give me the right to judge someone. The cancer doctor could beat his wife- the meth guy might be doing it to pay for his wife's breast cancer treatment. How would you ever know?

Answer 5

As a free sociality we can and do define who does and does not have value. That is the power we have as a free sociality. Anyone can argue wit that if they like but that is a fact.

We as a sociality say these (and more) do not deserve to live.
Osama bin laden
Sadam Huasin
Hitler
Joseph Stalin
(and many others)
Gary Gilmore
and other murders.
The list goes on.
We as a sociality also set rules (laws) to determine if the person does or does not deserve to live.

Doctors take an oath to help everyone. Hospitals have rules to determine who gets priority care and or transplants.
The have Ethics Committees that take this very seriously

That's in in a nut shell.

Your problem is you don't know what you are writing about as many others. Go to school and i don't mean stoned.

Answer 6

Of course you can place a value on human life... however even in your scenario the decision isn't an easy one.

Either way you lose, but yes a doctor is more important to the world as a whole than a crack head...

Answer 7

There is some website that you can answer a bunch of questions and will tell you how much your life is actually worth in terms of money, lol. Try to search for that

In terms of the law there are actually standards when determining monetary payments for loss of life. A young mothers life lost will lead to a higher settlement then an old persons death.

Answer 8

If I was trying to rescue someone from a burning building I would hardly stop to ask for prudentials I would simply try to get the nearest one out first and then try to save the second person if possible.

Answer 9

I don't think in the chaos of a burning building you are going to know who is a doctor and who is a pimp. Human life is human life. It appears to me that you believe some are more worthy of living than others. That's the kind of mindset that allows atrocities to happen to the "brown" people that would never be allowed to happen to the "white" people.

Answer 10

Every person's life has implicit value to someone... you (a general you... not necessarily YOU specifically) may put more value on the Dr. than the Pimp, but I'd bet that the Pimp's ...customers and employees???.... put more value on his life than the Dr's. I think that in our existance it is human nature to put more value on those who add value to our lives. If I can save only one, I'd save the one who adds value to my life... in this case, the Dr... he adds value to the members of my family who are cancer survivors and who fear it coming back. We all may define the value of life differently, but realistically, put yourself in the shoes of those you find little value you in...or more importantly, put yourself in the shoes of those affected by them.