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[Idiom]

I know this was just locked, but now I have a question:

Just what is it that gives human life value?

As I've read most people here don't think it's money. Obviously it's an in-group bias, but the effort in a translation was to try to overcome that bias. Someone said biomass, but I assume that was a joke. Someone will respond with a Watchmen reference, I can feel it.

So what is it? It's always been some sort of deep rooted and generally wide spread belief that it exists unconditionally. The only means it's been broken is in competition for survival and/or the betterment of your own odds of survival (or at least what is perceived as necessary as survival).  In species where life survives purely by serving the body of their population as a whole, to serve their hive, they have no respect for their own survival, yet they still retain a sense of value for their fellow's lives by sacrifice.

I think it is merely an involuntary mechanism of evolutionary forces (as those are the same kind of forces that it's traditionally canceled out by).

[Jude]

"Value" is too subjective to have any scientifically acceptable meaning.

I think morality should be based merely on (most) people's innate ability to empathize with others, which is ultimately the basis for human rights and responsibilities. (Or to put it another way, the arguments for those things would be incoherent if it weren't for our ability to acknowledge that others feel the same way we do )

[Idiom]

I think morality should be based merely on (most) people's innate ability to empathize with others, which is ultimately the basis for human rights and responsibilities. (Or to put it another way, the arguments for those things would be incoherent if it weren't for our ability to acknowledge that others feel the same way we do )

But then wouldn't people incapable of empathy have arguable reason not to respect human life? Or would others have a right then to disrespect the people without empathy? Or would it just be the people without empathy left to kill themselves?

[Grek]

The value of human life is subjective, but a consensus exist that it exists.

[Duke 2.0]

 Limitless potential. As much as people can do evil, they can do good.

 I'm a perfectionist. I don't like to waste such opportunities for greatness.

 But then again, the world has yet to make me a bitter bastard.

[Little]

Because everyone has a family, dreams, imagines, has values of their own and is a completely unique indivdual.

And it's a poor choice to eliminate something that is as valuable as that.

[Jude]

I think morality should be based merely on (most) people's innate ability to empathize with others, which is ultimately the basis for human rights and responsibilities. (Or to put it another way, the arguments for those things would be incoherent if it weren't for our ability to acknowledge that others feel the same way we do )

But then wouldn't people incapable of empathy have arguable reason not to respect human life? Or would others have a right then to disrespect the people without empathy? Or would it just be the people without empathy left to kill themselves?

Well, we can work under the assumption that people incapable of empathy are abnormal and mentally ill...they're called psychopaths, and we have criminal justice and mental health systems to deal with them.

[Electronic Phantom]

"Just what is it that gives human life value?"

Just what is it that you are looking for?  An ideal?  A concept?  A tangible object?

How do you define value?  Is it in terms of opportunity cost?
A single human/slave is worth fifty baskets of oranges.  ~1 kilo per basket.

And, to open up another can of worms, what is the definition of human life?  When does 'human life' begin?  When does it end?

Next is, can a human life be associated with a monetary value?  If so, does it depreciate?
Ya, man.  I depreciated $50 last year.  There's only $45 of me left.

What happens when this value runs out?  Do you kill yourself?  Can somebody else kill you without reprisal?

How are you going to interpret the answers you get?  By this, I mean: whose 'worldview' glasses are you looking through?  Is there a wrong answer to this question?  If not, how about a 'bad' answer?  Is there going to be a 'ranking' of answers?  If so, whose is better?  Stalin's 'value of human life,' Hitler's 'value of human life,' Mao Zedong's 'value of human life,' or Mahatma Ghandi's 'value of human life?'  And furthermore, why?

Despite all of what I said above, what is the result of assigning a value to someone.  If you are valued more than they are, what does this mean in terms of the relationship between you and that person?  Okay, let's reverse the positions.  Now they are ranked more than you on this highly arbitrary scale.  Can they abuse you and get away with it, simply because they are 'ranked higher than you?'

Just for reference, I am an American.  I believe in The Constitution and The Bill of Rights.  I also believe that They Should Not Be Infringed.  Ever.  For Any Reason.  Especially In An Emergancy.  I believe that all men are created equal in the sight of their Creator, and that none are created more equal than others.  I believe that assigning a value to human life is a horrible mistake.

'Nough said.

-(e)EP

[pokute]

The "value" and "meaning" of life are conscious constructs.

In a way, it's like asking yourself, "Why do I like sweet things?" and answering "Because they are sweet."

Another way to look at the problem is to say that "Because sweet things are naturally high in sugar and energy.  My taste buds and brain have evolved to prefer sweet things to encourage me to eat them."

[Strife26]

My set of beliefs:

Value of a human life = infinite
Value of the life of someone I command = more infinite.
Value of my own life = finite.

Call me crazy.

[RAM]

Well, we can work under the assumption that people incapable of empathy are abnormal and mentally ill...they're called psychopaths, and we have criminal justice and mental health systems to deal with them.

Empathy, as I understand it, is, basically, the sense that others are like yourself.

Empathy may be the only means you have by which to judge morality. But just because someone lacks empathy does not mean that they cannot see value in pursuing a morally defensible course that respects remote entities. In fact, empathy is fatally limited in it's capacity for morality in that it is fundamentally biased towards things with similarities to the empathic entity, and will, for the foreseeable future, always tend towards that state...

Demanding that something be forced into 're-education' based purely upon your inability to determine how it functions is... questionable...

*sighs* Maybe I just empathise with psychopaths...

As for human value... I believe that that thread was locked...

[TheNewerMartianEmperor]

I value the survival of humanity above all else, followed by those closest to me, followed by myself and finally ending with everyone else.

[Jude]

Well, we can work under the assumption that people incapable of empathy are abnormal and mentally ill...they're called psychopaths, and we have criminal justice and mental health systems to deal with them.

Empathy, as I understand it, is, basically, the sense that others are like yourself.

Empathy may be the only means you have by which to judge morality. But just because someone lacks empathy does not mean that they cannot see value in pursuing a morally defensible course that respects remote entities. In fact, empathy is fatally limited in it's capacity for morality in that it is fundamentally biased towards things with similarities to the empathic entity, and will, for the foreseeable future, always tend towards that state...

Demanding that something be forced into 're-education' based purely upon your inability to determine how it functions is... questionable...

*sighs* Maybe I just empathise with psychopaths...

As for human value... I believe that that thread was locked...

Psychopaths are considered abnormal and malfunctional in every society on earth, not least because they represent a disproportionate amount of violent criminals

[sonerohi]

Value of my life = 5 points.
Value of your life = 5 points.
Value of the President's life = 5 points.
Value of the life of anybody, anywhere = 5 points.
Value of a child's life = 6 points. Because they're the future.

[pokute]

It's kinda funny because once children become teenagers, the value of their lives go down in people's opinion.

In fact, some might argue (like my old old high school English teacher), that "teenagers are the lowest form of life."