The Value of Life

[The Sum of Awe]

Look at the human species, we appear so large, but really, think about 7^ billion organisms compared to every other amount of organisms on this planet, which there is beyond 2 million species so far discovered, and counting how many individuals are in each 2 million species... wow. If we remove the entire human species, not a stir.

Look at earth, now add the other planets, now the gas planets, now all of the minor planets (there are hundreds of them in just this solar system), don't forget the asteroid belt. Remove them all from the solar system, and all we are left with is the sun. How much mass was removed from the solar system? Not even a full 0.14%.

Remove this solar system from the milky way... doesn't matter. Remove the milky way from the universe... nothing. Remove an individual human from the universe, it doesn't matter.

This is not to be taken in a negative way, of course, since most of us know negative and positive are subjective measurements, we can't objectively measure them. Mathematics is the only thing that describes reality from an unbiased perspective, from a realistic perspective. Negative and positive, good or bad, etc. are based on a single organism's perspective. And like we agreed upon, a single organism's perspective has no value.

 

[Willamena]

Now look at me, alone in my house. A species of 1.

It matters to me.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Now look at me, alone in my house. A species of 1.

It matters to me.

Did you read the last paragraph, though?

 

[idav]

For the sake of discussion, say we could remove the earth from the universe. Insignificant? Probably but what if the earth is the only planet with life? Wouldn't all life then be invaluable regardless of which species it is?

 

[Iti oj]

What happens if by removing our planet we changed the mass of the solar system causing the system to get sucked into a black hole changing the shape size and mass of the galaxy causing it to get sucked into a black hole which then........

 

[idav]

What happens if by removing our planet we changed the mass of the solar system causing the system to get sucked into a black hole changing the shape size and mass of the galaxy causing it to get sucked into a black hole which then........

[youtube]lsV500W4BHU[/youtube]
"Thats the end of all time"
Powerman 5000 - When Worlds Collide - YouTube

 

[The Sum of Awe]

For the sake of discussion, say we could remove the earth from the universe. Insignificant? Probably but what if the earth is the only planet with life? Wouldn't all life then be invaluable regardless of which species it is?

That's a good idea, pretty hypothetical but if Earth were the only planet with life on it (realistically unlikely but just for the sake), then Earth would be valuable but not the human species itself, not an individual lifeform, not an individual species, just Earth itself since it's the basis of life, in this hypothetical situation

 

[Willamena]

Did you read the last paragraph, though?

Yes, but you know I don't agree with your realms of objective and subjective. I've said it enough times--at least, I hope you understand.

The single organism's perspective is not immune from mathematics.

 

[Iti oj]

This song and video is awesome

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Yes, but you know I don't agree with your realms of objective and subjective. I've said it enough times--at least, I hope you understand.

The single organism's perspective is not immune from mathematics.

The single organisms's perspective is not reality, only how he perceives it

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Camus said there is only really one serious philosophical question, which is whether or not to commit suicide.

So why do you think it matters?

 

[Iti oj]

be careful not to upset the balance of things. and mess with things you know not

 

[Willamena]

The single organisms's perspective is not reality, only how he perceives it

I am not immune from reality.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Camus said there is only really one serious philosophical question, which is whether or not to commit suicide.

So why do you think it matters?

Why do I think what matters?

be careful not to upset the balance of things. and mess with things you know not

But objective reality is neutral, and neutral existence IS the balance of things. How can you upset the neutral?

I am not immune from reality.

Your perspective doesn't describe reality, only how YOU view it, you're not immune from it but you are not the objective.

 

[Gjallarhorn]

Why do I think what matters?

Your life. You're just one little human, right? But obviously you value your life, because you have not committed suicide. So why do you think your life matters?

 

[Iti oj]

because systems require balance to function and we know not enough about said system to determine whats natural

 

[Willamena]

Your perspective doesn't describe reality, only how YOU view it, you're not immune from it but you are not the objective.

In not being immune from it, how I view it also isn't immune from it. How I view it is a part of it.

There's really nothing that's not a part of it.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Your life. You're just one little human, right? But obviously you value your life, because you have not committed suicide. So why do you think your life matters?

Extremism from the Buddhist... I always thought you guys were about balance. Just because you don't find life to have a value, doesn't mean you find death to have a value.

because systems require balance to function and we know not enough about said system to determine whats natural

I said neutral not natural

In not being immune from it, how I view it also isn't immune from it. How I view it is a part of it.

It's not part of how it really is, it's just inside of it, it objectively doesn't have a value.

 

[Iti oj]

it doesnt matter it does not change my point. neutral does not mean systems do not have requirements to run and function

 

[Willamena]

It's not part of how it really is, it's just inside of it, it objectively doesn't have a value.

There is no "outside" of it.

What I mean is--to paraphrase John Lennon--you can't have an inside without an outside. There is only reality.