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, socioeconomics 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
persons life. Many factors were taken into
account, such as the income they would
have received throughout their life, but it
remains controversial because many
peoples 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 peoples lives?
3. What main idea is presented in Roger
Eberts 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 ones life.
Hamlets Soliloquy shows a young man
discussing suicide while Roger Eberts
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
peoples 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.