Gavin Grey Jordan Fowler Dean Gella The Value of Life Gavin Grey Jordan Fowler Dean Gella

Module 3 The Value of Life

Summary This module covers a controversial subject in many fields, including politics, socio-economics and human psychology. Each of the excerpts in this module cover this subject, each with very different viewpoints. Throughout this PowerPoint, we will tell of the various viewpoints, and outline their reasoning for the aforementioned viewpoints. Of course, there is no true, perfect, and “correct” answer, but that is not the purpose here.

Preface The value of life is a many-layered debate. Some feel that life can be measured like everything else: liquid funds. Others feel that nothing can measure to a human life, not all the money in the world.

Hamlet In this excerpt we find the titular character of this play locked in a battle for understanding, contemplating the fundamental reasons for existence, thereby contemplating suicide. He is faced with the question; what is the value of my life? Is it still worth living even though everything in my life is going to ruin?

What is a life worth? This article outlines how the families of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center received monetary compensation for the trauma they have gone through. This situation was unique because the government was putting a value on each person’s life. Many factors were taken into account, such as the income they would have received throughout their life, but it remains controversial because many people’s lives were valued at close to nothing.

Roger Ebert Roger Ebert was a very famous critic who had both a TV show and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Unfortunately, due to cancer, he had to have most of his lower jaw removed in 2006, preventing him from speaking or eating normally ever again. Because of this, he experienced life in a completely different way and questioned what the value of life really was. Was his life worth any less because he was missing most of his lower jaw?

Questions 1. What method of persuasion does Hamlet use the most? 2. Do you think it is right to “assign” a value to people’s lives? 3. What main idea is presented in Roger Ebert’s excerpt? 4. Do you agree with “What Is a Life Worth?” Why or why not? 5. Do you believe that Hamlet is certain to take his own life? Explain.

Closing Thoughts The overall idea presented in these passages to is show the value of one’s life. Hamlet’s Soliloquy shows a young man discussing suicide while Roger Ebert’s excerpt shows how someone can live life to its fullest despite having a serious illness. Furthermore, “What Is a Life Worth?” discusses how we measure the “value” of people’s lives. Overall, these passages suggest that human life is something that we should highly value.

Citations Jones, Chris. "Roger Ebert: The Essential Man." Esquire n.d.: n. pag. Print. Ripley, Amanda. "What Is a Life Worth?" Time 11 Feb. 2002: n. pag. Print. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. N.p.: n.p., 1603. Print.