RE: The most disturbing image I saw in my life
January 15, 2023 at 2:14 pm
(This post was last modified: January 15, 2023 at 2:15 pm by Belacqua.)
(January 15, 2023 at 1:47 pm)Anomalocaris Wrote: Value is a word without any meaning except in the sole context of how the things fit into men’s scheme to achieve some notional end state, and then it would have different value depending on the man, the scheme, and the end state.
So if the mere existence of infant is seen an contributing to some scheme with some end result, then the baby has value by merely being born. This is what is normally meant by value of a life.
Sometimes value based on some influential men’s scheme to achieve some notional end state is imposed on lesser men, because the participation of lesser men in required to achieve the more the more influential men’s agenda. This is the origin of “we hold these truth to be self evident, that all men are created equal….”
I'm certainly willing to accept that "value" is a problematic word when applied to humans. It seems to me that we normally think of values as things that may be higher or lower based on some standard, and that implies the ranking of people based on some criteria.
In the old days the criterion was social rank at birth, I suppose. Now it may be utilitarian productivity.
But Kant argued that treating any person as a means rather than an end would be immoral, and I tend to agree.
Where did the Founding Fathers get the concept of "created equal" from? Is it Locke?
