Essay Value Of Life

Submitted By omoiyari23
Words: 815
Pages: 4

Alex Rodriguez

Value of Life Should life be calculated in monetary value? Is it possible to see the various values of life; economically, personally, and emotionally or is it always just one viewpoint? I think that there are times where we can look at the economic viewpoint in order to solve situations of necessity but it would not be to be seen as an emotional or personal perspective. It would solely serve the purpose of helping those whose family member may have passed and would be to help the family economically. The value of life is that we create our own reality and do things that we love as well as spend time with those whom we care about; ultimately it is up to people to have a positive mindset and add value to their life. It is true that our life is all we really have and it seems very wrong to attach a monetary value to it but there are times when we need to look at the economic perspective. For example, if a father with a wife and three kids die in war then that family would have a higher necessity for money than a father with one child. This is not because the father with more children has more personal value but because the smaller family does not need the same amount as the bigger family due to the difference in demand of necessity. The reason people get upset when they see the government choose who to give more money to by looking how much they think the family needs is because they observe it only from the emotional approach. Many people take it personally that some families receive more money then others when people pass away but they must look at the reason. There are times when we benefit from looking at situations purely from a mathematical perspective to solve problems or handle them better. To raise a child born in 2013 to the age of 18, it will cost a middle-income couple just over $245,000 according to newly released estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture this shows how much just one child costs and why it is much different if a father has more than one. In the article, “What Is a Life Worth” by Amanda Ripley, the author says “The concept of assigning a price tag to a life has always made people intensely squeamish. After all, isn't it degrading to presume that money can make a family whole again? And what of the disparities? Is a poor man's life worth less than a rich man's?” The problem here is that the author has a pessimistic mindset, as this situation is addressed. Why does the author instantly assume that just because a person receives more money from the government means that it is because one is worth more? Why does the author think that because government gives someone money that it means they think it “can make a family whole again” why doesn’t she see that the money is not a way to heal peoples pain but it can support the family during the difficult situations. Its just one of the things that the government can do to help but can’t solve completely,