Whose life matters more than that of another?

[RightinNYC]

For which of the above groups do you value the life of a person who belongs to it over the life of someone who does not? Select all that fit.

For example, if you valued the life of yourself and your mother more than the life of a random person in the world, but you believed that everyone else's life was equally valuable, you'd check those two choices only.

There's no hidden secret political agenda to this poll, nor does choosing or not choosing something make you a good or bad person. I'm just genuinely interested in seeing what people think.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Self through Religion. Unless and until I begin functioning as a religious counselor, however, Religion is the weakest priority of these-- it's more of an "all else being equal" sort of thing at the moment.

 

[Dezaad]

Before I answer: Do you mean emotionally or mentally? I have strong emotional attachments to certain of these groups, but intellectually I believe differently.

 

[RightinNYC]

Before I answer: Do you mean emotionally or mentally? I have strong emotional attachments to certain of these groups, but intellectually I believe differently.

I was intending it to mean basically:

"A train is heading down a track. There is a divide with person from group X on one side and person not from group X on the other. For which groups would you have a preference that it not hit person from group X?"

 

[Dezaad]

I was intending it to mean basically:

"A train is heading down a track. There is a divide with person from group X on one side and person not from group X on the other. For which groups would you have a preference that it not hit person from group X?"

Well, that doesn't really answer my question... I could analyze the scenarion on how I think I would react on the spur of the moment (passionately, if you will). Or, I could analyze this based on what I believe is the reality (dispassionately).

I am going to answer "passionately". Please be aware that I believe that reasoning out which of these is most valued would yield different results.

 

[RightinNYC]

Well, that doesn't really answer my question... I could analyze the scenarion on how I think I would react on the spur of the moment (passionately, if you will). Or, I could analyze this based on what I believe is the reality (dispassionately).

I am going to answer "passionately". Please be aware that I believe that reasoning out which of these is most valued would yield different results.

No worries, like they say when conducting surveys, "It means whatever you want it to mean.":2wave:

 

[The Mark]

While I would much rather that myself and my family did not die, I could not choose those options because I do not actually think their lives matter more than any other persons. To me, personally, perhaps.....but not in reality.

In my opinion, no one person's life matters more than another's.

 

[GarzaUK]

Opps didn't understand the question. IMO all men and women are equal so therefore no life is worth more than another, not even the President of a country.
However if you have a choice between saving your son or daughter or saving a stranger, emotionally that is no choice at all. You save the one your love.

 

[Gardener]

My loved ones,of course.

If given the choice between saving the life of one person or another, I would be dishonest if I were to say anything else.

I would choose to save the life of many people here if given the choice between saving them and saving that of a stranger. I might choose the stranger in an instance or three as well. I imagine I would save the life of a child vrs an adult. I would save the life of just about anybody instead of a known terrorist.

It's not really a matter ofwhether or not one life is worth more than another, but how much I value that life coupled with some ingrained notions in regards to innocence,etc.

 

[Just Me 2]

It is a bid difficult to answer because if I say that my family is more valuable then a stranger if is cold and heartless but if I say all life is valuable I have a caveat to it because I DON'T value the life of say a sexual predator.

 

[Hatuey]

I value my unborn child's life above that of my own. Then comes my own....and then everybody else is just silly luck of the irish blood ties that don't really mean much to me if it came down to them or I.

 

[RightOfCenter]

I would place my family and self before everyone else and then the lives of other Americans, by which I mean entering the armed forces. After that I don't think I'd risk my own life to save someone else, especially someone I didn't know.

 

[Sauwan]

I don't understand how this poll means anything though. For example, in given the choice between saving person one's life and person two's life and I know person one personally, where as person two is a stranger, without any other option, of course most people will choose those who they have a connection to.

But now say it's two unknown people vs one. Surely the dilemma gets greater here. How about your mother vs five people you don't know? Or 5 young children.

 

[Hatuey]

I don't understand how this poll means anything though. For example, in given the choice between saving person one's life and person two's life and I know person one personally, where as person two is a stranger, without any other option, of course most people will choose those who they have a connection to.

But now say it's two unknown people vs one. Surely the dilemma gets greater here. How about your mother vs five people you don't know? Or 5 young children.

I'd save my mom then send 50$ to UNICEF and feel like I've made a difference.

 

[Alien Traveler]

I see software of this forum permits multiple answers to polls. It makes polls meaningless and I will restrain from participating.

 

[Alien Traveler]

No life is inherently more valuable than another, our lives only have significance as a product of what we do with it.

So, you are a representative of dying out species. Vital species fight for lives of their families and their species.
Sorry…

 

[Alien Traveler]

I would place my family and self before everyone else and then the lives of other Americans, by which I mean entering the armed forces. After that I don't think I'd risk my own life to save someone else, especially someone I didn't know.

Exactly.
Risking my life for somebody unknown means risking of well-being of my family.
Never.

 

[RightOfCenter]

But now say it's two unknown people vs one. Surely the dilemma gets greater here. How about your mother vs five people you don't know? Or 5 young children.

I would pick my mother over any amount of people, the same goes for any member of my family. Would you not do the same?

 

[jallman]

If we are taking it as all things equal except the values you proposed, then to honestly answer, I value in descending order. First, I am going to value my life above all others. Then I am going to value my chosen family (meaning my life's partner and children), followed by my immediate family, followed by any other who would serve a purpose in my life (friends, coworkers, employees, those indebted to me), and then my nationality, religion, political views, etc.

Basically, given a choice of someone whom I identify with or would see as useful to me and someone I don't...I will always default to the former. That is strictly on a life for life scenario. In trading one life for multiple lives, I will almost always choose based on the utility of the people in question. At least...theoretically...

 

[Monkey Mind]

I selected Self, Family, and Nation but like all polls it isn't that simple. There are cases where the rules could change - for example if someone in my family were a child molestor or serial killer. I would save the life of my child at the expense of my own, if it came to that. I would risk my own life for family and to a lesser extent, nation. Not sure about a definite trade. It would depend on the circumstances.

 

[RightinNYC]

I don't understand how this poll means anything though. For example, in given the choice between saving person one's life and person two's life and I know person one personally, where as person two is a stranger, without any other option, of course most people will choose those who they have a connection to.

But now say it's two unknown people vs one. Surely the dilemma gets greater here. How about your mother vs five people you don't know? Or 5 young children.

It's about seeing where people place their interests.

For example, I chose self, family/friends, Americans, and people of my religion.

By choosing those, I mean that all else equal, I would prefer that if there was a friend, an american, or a catholic starving, sitting next to a person who was not of any of those groups, I would give the life-saving sandwitch to the first person. For me, thats as far as my distinction goes.

Unlike the aforementioned groups, i would have no preference based on the persons race/political persuasion.

Just thought it would make interesting fodder to see what people value.

 

[RightinNYC]

I see software of this forum permits multiple answers to polls. It makes polls meaningless and I will restrain from participating.

Uh, that's the entire point of this poll. I'm asking which of the groups, cumulatively, you value more than an average person.

 

[RightinNYC]

I don't understand how this poll means anything though. For example, in given the choice between saving person one's life and person two's life and I know person one personally, where as person two is a stranger, without any other option, of course most people will choose those who they have a connection to.

But now say it's two unknown people vs one. Surely the dilemma gets greater here. How about your mother vs five people you don't know? Or 5 young children.

I made the assumption that people will generally (though not always) show a preference to people whom they have a personal connection with.

What I'm trying to elicit here is how vague that connection can be before it is meaningless to someone. Does the sense of shared community from knowing someone is an American make a difference, despite not knowing them? Being Christian? Being Black? Being Liberal?

 

[The Mark]

I made the assumption that people will generally (though not always) show a preference to people whom they have a personal connection with.

What I'm trying to elicit here is how vague that connection can be before it is meaningless to someone. Does the sense of shared community from knowing someone is an American make a difference, despite not knowing them? Being Christian? Being Black? Being Liberal?

After further thought on this issue, I have come to the conclusion that in any given situation I will have no real idea how I would decide until I actually encounter such a situation.
As a general rule, however, I would probably try my hardest to save both lives. Even if it was seemingly impossible.

Regarding which persons/groups I consider more valuable than others, I think I value (in descending order) Family, friends, everyone else, bad people (terrorists, pedophiles, murders, etc, etc.).

However, there are probably variables which I have not considered, and will not until I encounter such a situation.

In short, I cannot positively state my answer to this question because I don't know what it is.