The Value of a Human Life

I am a pretty religious man, but often there are issues on which I disagree with my fellow thinking religious compatriots. One of them is the value of a human life. It is taken as almost axiomatic among the religious community that a human life is priceless. I wholeheartedly agree with the notion that a human life is incredibly valuable, however I cannot bring myself to the conclusion that the value of a human life is infinite while at the same time operating as a moral being in this world.

Whenever a design of a vehicle is under consideration, an increase in safety features is weighed against the cost of the car itself. There is no question that every car on the market can improve its safety, if only marginally, by adding in one more feature. While one could throw price out the window and focus on making an indestructible car that would survive a drop off of the empire state building, such a car would be ludicrously expensive. As a matter of public policy, the state could mandate that all cars be able to protect their passenger from a head-on collision with a tank at 100 mph, and I guarantee that traffic fatalities would fall dramatically. The state could also set a national speed limit at 20 mph, and once again traffic fatalities would fall dramatically. The point is, that the cost of each and every one of these laws would be incredibly high, but they would unquestionably save lives. One typically considers balancing the cost of a 20 mph speed limit when comparing it to the amount of lives it would save implies that cost benefit is necessary.

Those who value human life on any grounds cannot value it infinitely for if they do, they cannot operate in a world where costs and benefits must be considered. Even the act of stepping out of the house increases one's risk of being killed in a mugging gone wrong. Every action has costs and benefits and pretending that the loss of a human life is infinite would require one to live in a hamster ball and only eating completely sterilized food for the rest of one's life.

abnegation- denial of comfort to oneself
assiduous- hard-working, diligent