Someone needs to remind the government that life is priceless

Economists can easily place a value upon nearly anything physical. Land, gold and even water… Economists can easily place a value upon nearly anything physical. Land, gold and even water all have dollar values of worth. Placing such a dollar value on human life is a much more complex process. Life as we perceive it seems to be something intangible, perhaps transcendent of reality.

When asked about the worth of life, most will answer with “priceless.” Arguably, these people perceive that life itself is the basis for all other value. It supersedes value because without life, material can have no value. If death is to be assured, money, as well as every other type of material wealth, becomes worthless. In other words, you can’t take your money with you when you die.

It is important to note that there is a minority that puts little value on their own lives. It may be a different perspective to the concept of value, as experienced by those pushed to suicide out of despair. I believe that desperate suicidal individuals value their lives at less than zero. That is, no life is favorable compared to the perceived negative value of life.

Consider also that suicide bombers evidently value their lives as having no value. Instead, they may put emphasis on the value of their political or religious missions. I would argue that not recognizing the value of life must imply value placed on more abstract ideals like freedom or justice, just as soldiers that die for the protection of their nations.

Apparently, everybody places different values on their lives for reasons that may be secular or religious in nature. This is acceptable and expected because value is inherently subjective. Material objects are worth only as much as a buyer will pay for them.

The point of this discussion is to point out the value of human life as seen through the eyes of the state. After all, isn’t it the government that makes the most important decisions that may eventually have life-impacting effects?

Take for example the image that the Environmental Protection Agency – a government agency – has cast about its own take on the value of life. In an economic report compiled in 2001, the EPA decided the value of one human life at $6.1 million. This figure was determined through a statistic analysis that found that workers get paid $61 for each 1 in 100,000 chance of death on the job. The sum of these fractional death chances amounts to an assured fatality with a value of $6.1 million.

To put a value on a fraction of a life is all right. But to add up fractional worth of life to arrive at a “value of life” is wrong because life is worth more than the sum of its parts.

This number is similar to the cost of saving one statistical life. For example, the EPA is responsible for reducing arsenic levels in drinking water. Although most of the population can handle the very minute amounts of arsenic, there are a calculable number of individuals that will develop cancer and die from such contaminants. It amounts to how much money the EPA will expend to save one “statistical life.”

Although I respect the economic need to come up with such figures for legal resolution and compensation in the case of accidental death, this dollar value on life represents to me what the government sees its citizens as: assets.

It is obvious that most politicians value individuals only for their vote. Groups and demographics are most important to a politician because these things have commanded power. The EPA has exacerbated this vote-value problem by attaching an actual monetary value to life. It makes it appear as if life is expendable and accidental death is excusable if it can be ‘repaid.’

Fundamentally, putting a value on life is a moot point. Life is worth what to whom? Are the lives of cattle priceless? If you value your life as priceless, consider its value to a murderer. Or consider the value of a human zygote.

Clearly, Americans are divided on such concepts. But I would never expect a compassionate human to ever put a dollar value on their fellow human.

But we must realize that the EPA is run by United States citizens. These are people no different from you or I. It reflects an image of a government very distanced from its people. I certainly hope that others are just as shocked at the commodity that Americans have become as I am.

Tell Karim how much your life is worth in U.S. dollars at kab85@pitt.edu.