This thread arises out of my previous thread; 'Melinda's mission'.

Bill Gates wrote; “We created the Gates Foundation in 2000 because we believe in the principle that every human life has equal worth”. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/Pages/bill-melinda-gates-letter.aspx

Is this a good principle?

Is the value of a desperately poor child’s life, amongst hundred of millions of similarly poor children in Bangladesh worth the same as that of someone like Barack Obama or Bill Gates?

Can we in Australia realistically be expected to consider the lives of a desperately poor Eritrean family to be of the same value as those of a family living in our street?

Ludwig

The Value of human lives is an absolute concept, before the material world put a dollar sign next to it. It therefore makes the Bill Gates Foundation the more commendable, particularly for someone of his wealth. Some kids maybe living in poverty in the third world while in Australia they have reasonable living standards, but in terms of rights and innate potential, there is no difference. The values of democracy and of equal rights have let to signficant improvement in social welfare, there are now more protection of the rights of the poor, the disadvantaged and the minority. And this is obviously something we should all be proud of. So extending this concept a little from our national circumstances to a global one, there is no reason why there cannot be fundamental equality.

You further ask:
"Can we in Australia realistically be expected to consider the lives of a desperately poor Eritrean family to be of the same value as those of a family living in our street?"

Yes we certainly should consider them to be of the same value, if value is attributable to being a human being. And no you don't necessarily have to go and help them or donate any sum of money, if that makes answering your question a bit easier for some.

“that every human life has equal worth”

It depends on what someone means by “Worth”.

If “worth” is simply the right to exist, then yes all life is of equal worth.

If “worth” is some abstract concept of inherent value, then No.

Some lives exist with genetic defects which may not necessarily affect that particular “human life” but may affect any progeny, such as Huntington’s chorea.

Therefore carriers of the Huntington’s chorea genetic defect have a less valuable inherent value to someone free of the condition.

If worth is measured as some value of contribution to humanity, then No.

The value of social contribution any individual makes to others or “humanity in general” is totally dependent upon both their ability and inclination.

People are born and grow to different heights both physically, intellectually and altruistically. Social merit will reflect how individuals choose to deploy their individual physical, intellectual and philanthropic capabilities / resources.

Ludwig, only at the base level can you ascribe equal worth to different lives. In any comparative test, some will be found to be more valued than others but one aspect of equality is each should be free to achieve for themselves and not be labeled at birth by the class or caste they are born into.

Dear Ludwig,

"All Lives have equal value," is the basic
tenet of the Gates Foundation.

In my opinion it's an excellent tenet for
the world's largest charitable foundation,
($60 billion +).

When Gates spoke at the World Health Assembly
in Geneva, he asked the question as to why
vaccines for curable diseases that were
available to children in Western Countries
were not made available to children in the
poor developing countries? Were their lives
of lesser value?

His foundation then set about in providing these
vaccines to give poor children a better start in life.

Supposedly, we are all created equal. But of course
as Gates has proven, the reality is so very different
for some.

For the poor, the aged, the sick, the
helpless, the disabled...

Governments have to decide
how much value to place on fixing roads that kill
people, how much are taxpayers willing to spend?
Families have to decide on how long to keep their
ailing relatives alive? How much is a human life
worth?

Human lives should have equal value, but obviously
they don't.

There are "Values" and there are "values"...

It is your belief system that dictates the importance of value of things to you. It is subjective to yourself.

For the haves and have-nots, the values as they perceive of themseleves and from others in their circumstances is highly subjective and conditioned. And when you say "value" which you did not define specifically for your argument, a person who values himself highly could be deemed "unvalueable" by others. Other values ascribed to a person is then dependent on who is valuing you (e.g. receiving benefits from you), who has emotionally attached to you and specific social needs that changes over time. This kind of value can be gained by an individual through hard work.

I also venture to say that your own self esteem plays a significant role in determining your perceived small-values.

Your question sounds quite typical of the way western worlds view the developing world, a view that your extraneous possessions/needs determine alone the value of an individual in society, without considering sociatal differences. It also sound of a I-know-best pity-you attitude.

To me Value remains a belief system (not denominated in $$/needs) and is absolute based on democratic principles. As Col correctly pointed out the basic Values of human rights are equal for all. We are all born into different circumstances and challenges in life. From this perspective obviously we're not "equal", but this does not mean we are not of equal Value as human beings and the circumstances in which you are born is not a matter of your choosing. It does not impact the positive steps and democratic principles our societies have adopted. The way out of poverty and other adversities is to have strong societies providing opportunities and value contributions and nation building, rather than playing victims or saviours. This is as much an individual's responsibility, as that of a society.

Humans valuable?.
I don't think so.
6,000,000,000 polluters and despoilers.
Feed the stupid and next year there are 10 percent more.
Religion makes people stupid and every living thing suffers.
Enough I say.