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Winning Position: When is a life valuable?
7
When is a life valuable?
I simply wish to know how you decide a life is valuable. Consider these few thoughts before posting.
Most of us see humans as more valuable than say, a dog. I merely ask why? Is it because we are self aware? So is a roach, but we value the life of a dog more than a roach, and a human more than a dog. Can it be through complexity of thought? A dog doesn't understand long division, but neither does a four year old human . Is that child less valuable than a 12? How about emotion? Chimpanzees are known to grieve for dead relatives, and birds care for their young. Where, then? What makes a life worth preserving? When do we grant a living thing rights? A cow has less rights than a horse, but both are just mammals incapable of higher thought.
I suppose I'm asking this to know what you feel makes a life vauluable, and how you determine it. I welcone your coming responses.
P.S. I will be playing devil's advocate, regardless of your position, if I find a glaring flaw in your reasoning. I realize this topic is very subjective, but that does not mean you can disregard logic.