Poll: The Value of a Human Life

[Thyunda]

I think that human life is more valuable than animal life. You can always get another dog, but that person most likely has a family and friends and people who will miss them. Outside of the movies, the impact that a persons death is far greater than that of an animal. If you do save the animal, I'm sure that the loved ones of that person will not be happy with you.

Your Spanish teacher is kind of ridiculous because if she came across a stranger, the first thing she would assume is that the person was inherently bad. She most likely likes Hobbes and the idea that humans are inherently bad vs. Locke who believes that humans are inherently good. I think humans are neutral and their actions define their moral actions.

If I were to witness a person letting a human fall off a cliff and saving an animal I would be appalled.

If I had to choose between my dog or a random stranger, I'd save the dog. The loved ones can ***** at me all they like, but my dog would protect me from danger so I'm gonna do the same damn thing for him. He's like a brother, and he's closer than a stranger, and just sharing a species ain't enough to warrant abandoning a family member.

If we want to start that road - who do I save, the Englishman or the Frenchman? I mean, they're both human, but since the Englishman shares my nationality, I guess I can relate better and kinda owe it to him.

But no. My dog is more valuable to me than a stranger...and I don't give two shits who that stranger is. Never turn your back on family.

I understand you have a special bond with your dog, but that is YOUR dog and a stranger. What if you (a stranger to me) were hanging off a cliff and my dog was in danger. Wouldn't you want me to save you? Wouldn't you be begging and crying while I went over and saved Spot?
Or would you understand thinking to yourself "yeah, that guy really loves his Beagle, I should just let go and plummet to my doom for his emotional satisfaction." Maybe your dog would save you..

I would likely beg and cry while you went over and saved your true love instead of me, so really no matter what option you pick, you can consider your ass frowned upon as I plummet to my doom because you just HAD to go save your life partner.

 

[liquidsolid]

I think that human life is more valuable than animal life. You can always get another dog, but that person most likely has a family and friends and people who will miss them. Outside of the movies, the impact that a persons death is far greater than that of an animal. If you do save the animal, I'm sure that the loved ones of that person will not be happy with you.

Your Spanish teacher is kind of ridiculous because if she came across a stranger, the first thing she would assume is that the person was inherently bad. She most likely likes Hobbes and the idea that humans are inherently bad vs. Locke who believes that humans are inherently good. I think humans are neutral and their actions define their moral actions.

If I were to witness a person letting a human fall off a cliff and saving an animal I would be appalled.

If I had to choose between my dog or a random stranger, I'd save the dog. The loved ones can ***** at me all they like, but my dog would protect me from danger so I'm gonna do the same damn thing for him. He's like a brother, and he's closer than a stranger, and just sharing a species ain't enough to warrant abandoning a family member.

If we want to start that road - who do I save, the Englishman or the Frenchman? I mean, they're both human, but since the Englishman shares my nationality, I guess I can relate better and kinda owe it to him.

But no. My dog is more valuable to me than a stranger...and I don't give two shits who that stranger is. Never turn your back on family.

I understand you have a special bond with your dog, but that is YOUR dog and a stranger. What if you (a stranger to me) were hanging off a cliff and my dog was in danger. Wouldn't you want me to save you? Wouldn't you be begging and crying while I went over and saved Spot?
Or would you understand thinking to yourself "yeah, that guy really loves his Beagle, I should just let go and plummet to my doom for his emotional satisfaction." Maybe your dog would save you..

I would likely beg and cry while you went over and saved your true love instead of me, so really no matter what option you pick, you can consider your ass frowned upon as I plummet to my doom because you just HAD to go save your life partner.

Well I would save your life over my dog's. My one true love would be the question of one human over another human which is more complicated =P.

 

[Thyunda]

I think that human life is more valuable than animal life. You can always get another dog, but that person most likely has a family and friends and people who will miss them. Outside of the movies, the impact that a persons death is far greater than that of an animal. If you do save the animal, I'm sure that the loved ones of that person will not be happy with you.

Your Spanish teacher is kind of ridiculous because if she came across a stranger, the first thing she would assume is that the person was inherently bad. She most likely likes Hobbes and the idea that humans are inherently bad vs. Locke who believes that humans are inherently good. I think humans are neutral and their actions define their moral actions.

If I were to witness a person letting a human fall off a cliff and saving an animal I would be appalled.

If I had to choose between my dog or a random stranger, I'd save the dog. The loved ones can ***** at me all they like, but my dog would protect me from danger so I'm gonna do the same damn thing for him. He's like a brother, and he's closer than a stranger, and just sharing a species ain't enough to warrant abandoning a family member.

If we want to start that road - who do I save, the Englishman or the Frenchman? I mean, they're both human, but since the Englishman shares my nationality, I guess I can relate better and kinda owe it to him.

But no. My dog is more valuable to me than a stranger...and I don't give two shits who that stranger is. Never turn your back on family.

I understand you have a special bond with your dog, but that is YOUR dog and a stranger. What if you (a stranger to me) were hanging off a cliff and my dog was in danger. Wouldn't you want me to save you? Wouldn't you be begging and crying while I went over and saved Spot?
Or would you understand thinking to yourself "yeah, that guy really loves his Beagle, I should just let go and plummet to my doom for his emotional satisfaction." Maybe your dog would save you..

I would likely beg and cry while you went over and saved your true love instead of me, so really no matter what option you pick, you can consider your ass frowned upon as I plummet to my doom because you just HAD to go save your life partner.

Well I would save your life over my dog's. My one true love would be the question of one human over another human which is more complicated =P.

You would save my life...and force me to listen to the heart-wrenching howl as Spot plummets off a cliff? Saving my body and killing our souls man, how could we live like that?

 

[The Unworthy Gentleman]

"What if that person was a pedophile or a murderer?"

You'd have no way of knowing just from appearance and it would be hella wrong for you to let an innocent man drown on the basis that he may or may not be a bad person. It's really as simple as that.

 

[RedFeather1975]

The dilemma of what is right, and what is wrong, isn't whether one is willing to facilitate or avoid the taking of any life, it is how much they are willing to act to support the idea that such loss should invoke an inescapable feeling of distress.

If people spend their lives preserving the idea that an inevitability is undeserving and harsh. Then each person will face that beast alone, in their final hour.

 

[saruman31]

I would no doubt save the person. Also, i noted that people who usually like animals a lot tend to be complete douchebags with people.

 

[mad825]

The human.

I can easily rest in solace knowing my dog saved another human life. It's an honourable death for an animal to die by in my opinion.

 

[RedFeather1975]

How can anyone not like animals. Just look into their eyes and see how confused they are by everything. They need some lovin badly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc1EIrDlDyQ

 

[Grimbold]

I am somewhat horrified how many asocial egocentrics would choose a stupid animal.
You guys seem to spend too much time watching videos of cute animals and playing games where you shoot at people.

 

[RedFeather1975]

You big specist meanie.

 

[KiloFox]

random person Vs Random animal, animal
person i know (i.e. friend) vs random animal, friend
random person vs MY animal, animal
friend vs my animal, which friend?

 

[Nimzabaat]

I had a little internal debate about this issue brought about by that girl who killed herself. It went a little like this;
Me: That's sad.
Brain: Why?
Me: Well she got bullied and killed herself. She must have been really sensitive.
Brain: Too sensitive to make it to adulthood?
Me: That's a little harsh.
Brain: Why?
Me: Um... human life is precious?
Brain: Really? About 154,000 people died that day, what makes that persons life more "precious" then the others?
Me: Um...
Brain: There's around 7 billion people. One out of 7 billion is not "precious", or even "important" or "necessary". Actually around 3.5 billion people are pretty shitty, and the other 3.5 billion are okay. So if someone found a way to kill off the 3.5 billion shitty ones, the whole race would be better off.
Me: Um......

TLDR: One out of 7 billion isn't valuable. One out of 7 million isn't valuable. Now one out of 50,000 (Battlestar Galactica style), then you should save the person.

PS: I am aware that I have very little empathy. It comes from being around people on a daily basis.

 

[MetalGenocide]

I don't see a "save both" option.

It's a matter of mass really.
Dogs weigh less and are generally decent at climbing.
So, you can grab the dog and the person. Being lighter, the dog will be pulled back to safety rather quickly, then you can focus on the person.

Spoiler: If he turns out to be a rapist or paedophile....

 

[C F]

I save the person.

If it was my best bro who also happens be Gandhi versus a rabid mutt, I would save the person.
If it was Bill from accounting versus a squirrel, I would save the person.
If it was a jaywalking prison inmate versus a cute little bunny, I would save the person.
If it was a serial killer/rapist versus a bag of newborn puppies, I would save the person.
If it was Osama bin Laden versus my cat whom sleeps with me at night, and it were up to me? I would still save the person.

If I had to purposefully asphyxiate a mewling kitten to save Adolf Hitler from a buzzing Nazi sawblade trap of his own design? Only now are we getting into iffy territory.

CAPTCHA: time will tell
Okay, that's very unnerving there, CAPTCHA.
Veeery unnerving.

 

[RedDeadFred]

As much as I love my dog, I don't think I'd be able to get over letting another human being die. I'm really not sure what I'd do though. It would depend a lot on what the stranger looked like and how they acted to my presence. If they were some gangster looking fellow yelling "pull me up mother fucker" I wouldn't even give them a second glance while pulling my dog to safety.

 

[RedDeadFred]

How can anyone not like animals. Just look into their eyes and see how confused they are by everything. They need some lovin badly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc1EIrDlDyQ

What about this animal:
Could you really LOVE this thing? He looks psychotic. The way he head-bobs.... *shudders*

 

[DrunkenMonkey]

Some people have trouble truly understanding that when people die, so do their dreams and ideas. In turn their whole worlds just vanish. They are aware of the fact, but can't quite accept it and see it for what it is. The better question is would you want to be saved if you were in that situation?

And the better question to that would be "How does the way I say I would act in any way change the way that another person would act?"

We can all say that we'll save the other person. And I freely admit that every person is better off if every other person to yourself saves a stranger over their own dog. But you personally, are better off saving your dog, which means that you can effectively take advantage of the system by subverting it. And that's the world we live in. So we'd be fool to act in a way against our own self-interest to help another without an outside force enforcing compliance.

I think everyone should watch Catch-22. I don't think I believed anything after that film.

Well they way I see it, is if the dog is the only family that person has fine. Because if the dog dies they will experience severe amounts of pain from it, and at that point it's not worth acting against your self interest. On the other hand if the dog is a family pet, you can't exactly say that its the end of the world for that person if his/her dog. I'm not saying
that every person should sacrifice their dog to save a stranger, I'm just explaining the gravity of not saving the stranger at the cost of your self interest. Because self interest in itself is a very circumstantial thing. You can sometimes act against it if you don't lose TOO much in the process. That's all.

 

[Zantos]

That's a seriously fucked piece of logic on your teachers behalf. Seriously, it isn't like paedophilia and/or murder are what all the young people are up to nowadays. By the same logic, what happens if you don't save the person, and it turns out they're a heart surgeon that's been doing pro bono work for the local orphanage to make sure little Timmy sees pats his eighth birthday? Now they won't be able to find someone to perform Timmy's heart transplant. You bastard, condemning Timmy to a slow, painful death.

 

[Moderated]

Do you know the entire story? Did you see the trial?
Or are you basing it on someone calling them a murderer?
You know who are murderers?
People who kill someone who is trying to blow up the orphanage by implanting bombs inside of puppies. Or kill someone to defend their family, or defend the president, or whatever.
Pedophilia is relative.
Legally, if you have naked pictures of someone of the exact same age of you, and you are under 18, you are a pedophile.

Everything's relative.

That's a seriously fucked piece of logic on your teachers behalf. Seriously, it isn't like paedophilia and/or murder are what all the young people are up to nowadays. By the same logic, what happens if you don't save the person, and it turns out they're a heart surgeon that's been doing pro bono work for the local orphanage to make sure little Timmy sees pats his eighth birthday? Now they won't be able to find someone to perform Timmy's heart transplant. You bastard, condemning Timmy to a slow, painful death.

I'm pretty sure the OP wasn't saying it could be, but what would you do if it was.