Just quickly, here is a grisly thought experiment.<\/p>\n
How many legs is a life worth?\u00a0 “It’s a categorical difference — you cannot convert between the sacred value of lives and mere injury,” I hear you say.\u00a0 But that’s where you would be wrong.<\/p>\n
Imagine a long line of people waiting upon your decision.\u00a0 Every person will have a leg amputated until you say, “Kill this one,” and then the bloodletting will cease.\u00a0 How long a line can you condemn to mutilation?\u00a0 if it is a single person, then choosing amputation over death is clearly a demonstration of your mercy. If two people, perhaps they can agree that they would both prefer to be amputees over one of them having to live with the knowledge that their leg cost the other her life.\u00a0 Perhaps even three.\u00a0 But eventually, simple math is undeniable, and a large enough group will readily throw one of their own off the cliff to save the legs of the multitude.\u00a0 This is one way to measure the value in legs, of a life.\u00a0 And your own judgment?\u00a0 Would you tend to assess a higher or lower cost?\u00a0 If you had to have the entire planet lined up\u00a0would that\u00a0satisfy your bloodthirsty conscience?<\/p>\n
Everything has a price.\u00a0 In our next installment, we will determine the value of a leg in dollars.\u00a0 Then we may convert handily between lives and dollars.<\/p>\n
Just quickly, here is a grisly thought experiment.<\/p>\n
How many legs is a life worth?\u00a0 “It’s a categorical difference — you cannot convert between the sacred value of lives and mere injury,” I hear you say.\u00a0 But that’s where you would be wrong.<\/p>\n
Imagine a long line of people waiting upon your decision.\u00a0 Every person will have a leg amputated until you say, “Kill this one,” and then the bloodletting will cease.\u00a0 How long a line can you condemn to mutilation?\u00a0 if it is a single person, then choosing amputation over death is clearly a demonstration of your mercy. If two people, perhaps they can agree that they would both prefer to be amputees over one of them having to live with the knowledge that their leg cost … Continue reading