(January 10, 2016 at 9:04 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote: It means that something is inherently valuable... that is, valuable by its very nature.
I believe human life is objectively valuable.
That means that even if not a single person cares about Joe's life, for example, his life still has value. In the same way that water is inherently wet, human life is inherently valuable. They are those things by their very nature.
How is human life objectively valuable to a gorilla living free in an African jungle? What about ravens, when they scavenge the desert for meat?
Do you mourn the deaths of people who die lonely in Siberia? How about those you never met, and never knew of on your city streets? Obviously, those who have positively influenced your life are of value.
As socially-evolved animals, there is a certain respect, and to some degree actual value to human lives, even to strangers when we are aware they are civilians who are in trouble. We help others when we can, and where we can, especially when we could expect them to help us if and when they could. The sympathy which we feel motivates us, because it is a survival trait.
Human life is valuable to humans, but to ravens and crows it's just meat, and that's exactly what they will make of it if they find a human who is weak and defenseless outside (although they may prefer it to age dead for some time). This is therefore no corollary to water, which would make any animal wet. Therefore, not an objective value.
Mr. Hanky loves you!
