The value of life Options

[tkproduce]

A lot of debates seemed to be based on this, so I thought I might make a new topic out of it.

Obviously, life is a valuable thing. But how valuable is it to you? Different people have different opinions.

Say this kid at a school has somehow managed to pick up a fatal disease - maybe something like ebola, but worse. If he is not killed in the next 10 minutes, the disease is contagious enough to infect everyone in the school. You're a doctor with a needle in your hand and you are given the responsibility of making the decision of whether or not to kill this kid. What would you do?

Okay, a very unrealistic situation, but it is slightly similar to other situations. Like the war in Iraq. Do you think the lives of some are worth sacrificing for the welfare of others? The debate about abortion. Letting every foetus with a potential for life to live on, wanted or unwanted, may seem ideal to you, but looking at the big picture, I can see overpopulation and poverty.

So how much do you value individual life?

[illumineering]

QUOTE(illumineering @ Jul 12 2005, 10:46 AM)
This isn't a real dilemma. (Based on the scenario that started the thread.)
Killing the host of the virus won't contain the rate of infection. The whole area needs to be quarrantined and decontaminated. Killing the kid in 10 minutes won't change anything. The likelihood of infection is based on proximity to the carrier. Isolation, sterilization and education are the most effective ways to contain an outbreak.






killing a host usually kills the virus.

viruses need living cells.

dead people aren't useful for viruses. therefore; the virus will attempt to spread in any way possible.

but killing the person and incinerating them (don't let them drip anything) will kill the virus.


My point was that the likelihood of contamination would have already been established through close contact with the kid. The possibility of infection remains even if someone kills him. You are misinterpreting my statement. Look at the CDC protocol for the virus.