Amanda Ripley What Is A Life Worth Analysis

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Should the value of life be comparable to the average dollar? Throughout human history civilizations have valued life to their own understanding. Ancient Egypt believed in a material based afterlife, that it was not over, but the soon beginning. Religions around the world preach of a better life in another realm. However, our modern society has placed the value of life to the equivalent of paper money. Should the life of a human being be compared to dollars and coins? Many would say yes. However, I feel it is what we do in live that makes it valuable. Death is the end of the road, so let that not stop us from making the best choices while we live. To truly answer if a value should be put on a human life, Amanda Ripley, author of “What Is a Life Worth”, wrote on how human lives after September 11th, 2000, were placed into a monetary value chart so as to “compensate” the families for their loss. “Is a poor man's life worth less than a rich mans?” Ripley wrote ( Ripley 56). A man by the name of Feinstein had to create a chart that “accurately” calculated the life of a human being. …show more content…

It takes into account an individuals savings, assets, life insurance policy, and a few other elements. Overall, it gives an estimate based off of your input as to what you, a human being, are worth to society. To put a value on someone's life can be realistic but it cannot be viewed as a “social norm” or something moral. The website reads, “This calculator will provide only a rough sense of your human life value”, and that “it is the best estimate available” (Human Life Calc 63). With websites like this available, the idea of human life becomes less “valuable” in terms of emotional value and more “valuable” in economic or business terms. The question still remains, should life be valued only by what we make, money wise, in life or should a monetary value be so easily placed on it? Roger Ebert felt

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