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Do you believe that every human life holds equal value?

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The idea that all human life holds equal value is the most ridiculous and damaging viewpoints held by the ignorant idiot masses.

If we are looking for socially optimal outcomes, the lives of genetically superior individuals (more intelligent, more hard-working, more entrepreneurial, less violent, less greedy... etc) are worth far more than those without these characteristics, since these are the people who are the engine of growth and civilization.

Frankly, unintelligent people and criminals should be shot or at least sterilised for the good of humanity.
Original post by DarthVador
The idea that all human life holds equal value is the most ridiculous and damaging viewpoints held by the ignorant idiot masses.

If we are looking for socially optimal outcomes, the lives of genetically superior individuals (more intelligent, more hard-working, more entrepreneurial, less violent, less greedy... etc) are worth far more than those without these characteristics, since these are the people who are the engine of growth and civilization.

Frankly, unintelligent people and criminals should be shot or at least sterilised for the good of humanity.


You do realise you just opted to have yourself shot or sterilised?
Original post by John Stuart Mill
You do realise you just opted to have yourself shot or sterilised?


You'd sooner get shot or sterilised than I.
Original post by DarthVador
You'd sooner get shot or sterilised than I.


I'd bet my house not.
Original post by John Stuart Mill
I'd bet my house not.


How can you bet a house you don't have?
Leftie assclown on the dole.
Original post by DarthVador
How can you bet a house you don't have?
Leftie assclown on the dole.


- makes assumptions
- throws insults

You know you're just proving me right; actually you probably don't...
Original post by The_Duck
At birth yes. When they made some decisions, no.


+10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Reply 27
Answering the title... obviously not. I don't think there has ever been a time when healthcare resources have been allocated equally regardless of age and functionality, for instance. Saving the life of a younger person mobilises far more resources than saving the life of an old person no matter where you go on the planet.

But whether we should allocate resources tosave a life based on the economic value of that particular individual, is an entirely different question. And not one that could be implemented tastefully, even if it does make sense from a utility point of view.
I believe everybody is born with equal value, but some such as Hitler decrease their own value with the decisions they make. Other's are exceptional, some remain great and some ruin everything they could have been but until I am sure, in my opinion everybody I meet is equal.
Original post by Stephanie_12
I believe everybody is born with equal value, but some such as Hitler decrease their own value with the decisions they make. Other's are exceptional, some remain great and some ruin everything they could have been but until I am sure, in my opinion everybody I meet is equal.

how do you measure this equality though? Surely the way you are explaining it, is that it is totally objective, so my value for someones life is completely different to yours, so who are you to say that peoples value decreases depending on the decisions they make?
Reply 30
Original post by DarthVador
The idea that all human life holds equal value is the most ridiculous and damaging viewpoints held by the ignorant idiot masses.

If we are looking for socially optimal outcomes, the lives of genetically superior individuals (more intelligent, more hard-working, more entrepreneurial, less violent, less greedy... etc) are worth far more than those without these characteristics, since these are the people who are the engine of growth and civilization.

Frankly, unintelligent people and criminals should be shot or at least sterilised for the good of humanity.


Socially optimal? Do go on :daydreaming:
Original post by Ripper-Roo
Socially optimal? Do go on :daydreaming:


Alright.
Tell me, which society would you rather live in:
-Nigeria
-Norway

Your choice will be based on the same criteria that I use to define 'socially optimal'.
Original post by ChildishHambino
how do you measure this equality though? Surely the way you are explaining it, is that it is totally objective, so my value for someones life is completely different to yours, so who are you to say that peoples value decreases depending on the decisions they make?


What I meant' is that I think in my opinion that everybody deserves the same treatment and respect from me as I believe that we are all equal. Nobody deserves to be treated like they are a lesser person than I am. I think people's value would decrease depending on the decisions they make such as Hitler's choices to control and dominate and murder. People that willingly hurt others and take pleasure in it, those are the kinds of people i would see as lesser.
Also, I am just saying my own opinion, I know that in certain parts of the world people are not treated equally, I'm just saying how I would view it.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 33
Original post by miser
No, I don't, but I also don't believe that the state is any good at evaluating whose lives are worth more than others, so I support equality out of pragmatism.


This is essentially the crux of the issue. Human beings don't have to subscribe to the notion that everyone is of equal worth (to them/society) but the state does because there is no reasonable way for it to become a non-partisan moral arbiter. The same principal is why we have habeas corpus and a jury system.
As others have said before, 'value' is far too vague and subjective a term - which human lives are valuable to me will mean nothing to someone else.

ETA: So yes, to me personally, some human lives have more value than others and I don't believe they're equal. But I don't think that you can objectively rank people in terms of their 'value' as it is so subjective.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 35
Questions a bit too vague.

Even in a fair justice system if transgression equates to death for someone, their life doesn't suddenly become "unequal" to anyone else's, it's just that their actions become deserving of the punishment that would also have equally applied to any other life which had replicated the same action.

The only time life is unequal is if you differentiate between people based on characteristics they were born with.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by PinkMobilePhone
Depends who you ask.

My husband is obese. Not from a medical condition, just through eating too much. Now he's working hard to rectify this and has lost 10 stone so far, but still, he's obese.

Ignorant, above me, would therefore try to say that Einstein's life is of greater value than my husbands. Well maybe to him, yes, but to me, my children, and my in-laws, my husband's life is of far greater value than even Einstein.

Likewise I could argue that Einstein's life is of greater value than Ignorant's mother. However I'm sure Ignorant would disagree.

Your loved ones are always going to be of the greatest value to you, even if they are just ordinary people. Therefore it's entirely subjective.


Wow 10 stones is a lot! Congrats to the guy! :biggrin:
Reply 37
Original post by Derp96
Do you believe that, for example, the life of Albert Einstein and the 60 year old obese alcoholic working at your local news agent hold equal value? Or that the lives of Adolph Hitler and Nelson Mandela held equal value?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Yes. All our consciousness is, is our experiences tied up together therefore we are constantly changing. At birth, Einstein and Hitler might as well have been the same person, it was their experiences that shaped them into who they were, which they did not control
Original post by saberahmed786
Wow 10 stones is a lot! Congrats to the guy! :biggrin:


thank you. Another 10 stone to go. I have faith in him :smile:
I think it depends on how you define value and it's a dangerous place you wander into when you start arbitrarily setting boundaries about who and who isn't 'worthy' or 'deserving' of life.

If you were to think about people who have furthered the human races progression through the ages (WARNING: controversial opinion incoming) then you could argue that people such as Hitler/Mao/etc did more to further the cause of human existence than, me for instance. While these people may not have been popular, or set out to do good you could evaluate the overall effect on humanity as more meaningful than, say me, who has achieved nothing and changed nothing about the world at all.

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