Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 28, 2024, 12:21 pm

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Do humans have inherent value?
#21
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
I think any value we assign humans is from a social and intrinsic nature we give each other.

I'm currently reading a book on philosophical ethics, and in the book a lot of the discussion is around the various forms of ethics (normative, practical & metaethical) of the values we "discover" and apply to humans. Currently I'm of the opinion we have no intrinsic value, but that it instead is inter-dependent, IOW all values on and about human beings is (artificially) applied on human beings and their endeavors.
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool." - Richard P. Feynman
Reply
#22
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 12, 2021 at 10:36 pm)Macoleco Wrote: And if yes, can their actions nullify that value?

I want to read your opinions.

This can never be an either/or proposition. 

In the context of 13.8 billion years, knowing that the planet has had 5 major mass extinction events, and also knowing that billions of years from now, it is most likely our species will also go extinct prior to the sun expanding and killing all life, no we are not important.

But in the short term, while our species is alive, we most certainly are important to our own survival.
Reply
#23
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 12, 2021 at 10:36 pm)Macoleco Wrote: And if yes, can their actions nullify that value?

I want to read your opinions.

I think that people have many inherent values, though I don't know that any of them are the kinds of values that would satisfy people, and it probably doesn't take any action on our part to nullify a number of them.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
#24
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
Yes.
The market value is somewhere between the ball of lint I had when I was 3, and 1/16 thimble full of pyrite dust.
Reply
#25
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 13, 2021 at 1:06 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:
(June 13, 2021 at 12:54 am)Macoleco Wrote: Explain please

We value each other and ourselves, generally. But value is a judgement. I don’t think we have any sort of objective, intrinsic value.

Pretty much this. My wife is the gardener in our household, and so values manure much more than I do. This applies to human beings as well - some people are completely shitty.

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#26
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
Some?

Aren't we just Mr. fucking optimism.
Reply
#27
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 13, 2021 at 1:29 pm)no one Wrote: Some?

Aren't we just Mr. fucking optimism.

Yes. Yes we are.

Boru
‘But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods or no gods. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.’ - Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#28
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 13, 2021 at 1:06 am)LadyForCamus Wrote:
(June 13, 2021 at 12:54 am)Macoleco Wrote: Explain please

We value each other and ourselves, generally. But value is a judgement. I don’t think we have any sort of objective, intrinsic value.

I don't completely disagree, but talking of inherent value in this way robs the phrase of any meaning. I don't think people are mouthing empty phrases, so in some sense "inherent value" must refer to something other than literal, objective, intrinsic value. I've been trying to think about what that is the past day, but haven't really arrived at anything. Do you think when people use the term inherent value they are just talking nonsense?
[Image: extraordinarywoo-sig.jpg]
Reply
#29
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
(June 13, 2021 at 2:49 pm)Angrboda Wrote:
(June 13, 2021 at 1:06 am)LadyForCamus Wrote: We value each other and ourselves, generally. But value is a judgement. I don’t think we have any sort of objective, intrinsic value.

I don't completely disagree, but talking of inherent value in this way robs the phrase of any meaning.  I don't think people are mouthing empty phrases, so in some sense "inherent value" must refer to something other than literal, objective, intrinsic value.  I've been trying to think about what that is the past day, but haven't really arrived at anything.  Do you think when people use the term inherent value they are just talking nonsense?

I think that people should choose their words more carefully lest others think they are spouting nonsense.
Reply
#30
RE: Do humans have inherent value?
What I am trying to say is that society in general assigns value to humans just for being humans. Which is why humans right exist. And even if for the nazis the Jews had no value, the whole world disagreed with them.

Now, if everyone has an intrinsic value, can it be nullified? In the tríala of Nuremberg it seems that was the case, as they executed multiple nazi officials.

Then, am I in my right to believe that some people have no value due to their actions?
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Are the animals luckier than humans? TrueNorth 13 792 August 19, 2022 at 11:37 am
Last Post: Macoleco
  On theism, why do humans have moral duties even if there are objective moral values? Pnerd 37 3087 May 24, 2022 at 11:49 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  The Ultimate Value and the signs of it in ourselves. Mystic 210 23850 November 18, 2017 at 7:10 pm
Last Post: Mystic
  Humans are scum ApeNotKillApe 39 9957 May 24, 2016 at 5:16 pm
Last Post: abaris
  Most Humans Do NOT Have Completely Frree Will Rhondazvous 57 5016 April 20, 2016 at 6:46 pm
Last Post: Whateverist
  Do Humans have a Natural State? Shining_Finger 13 2490 April 1, 2016 at 4:42 am
Last Post: robvalue
  What is 'objective' value? henryp 159 20807 January 24, 2016 at 4:57 pm
Last Post: Mudhammam
  What could Redeem Humans? Shining_Finger 72 8917 December 6, 2015 at 10:01 am
Last Post: DespondentFishdeathMasochismo
  Do Humans Have Compulsary Will? Which best describes your take on 'will'? Whateverist 100 10822 June 11, 2015 at 8:29 am
Last Post: Whateverist
  Moral law in Humans and other animals The Reality Salesman01 13 4026 February 28, 2015 at 1:32 am
Last Post: The Reality Salesman01



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)