Analyzing the Value of Human Life: Government vs. Individual Control

This essay delves into the complex and ethically charged debate surrounding the value of human life, examining the perspectives of both governmental bodies and individual citizens. It explores various scenarios, including healthcare decisions for individuals with rare diseases, abortion rights, and end-of-life choices, highlighting the conflicting viewpoints on who should determine the value of a human life. The essay analyzes the role of government regulations in maintaining the quality of life, while also considering the arguments for individual autonomy and the right to make personal choices. Furthermore, it addresses the economic considerations of valuing life, such as in hazardous work environments and the use of insurance, as well as the role of government and private institutions in compensating for loss of life. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of respecting and valuing life, while also suggesting that the government should be the primary body responsible for determining its value to maintain social and community welfare.

ESSAY (TOPIC 4)

TABLE OF CONTENT
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
ESSAY ............................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................7
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................8

INTRODUCTION
Human life is valuable but many few people cherish this achievement or have right to
live their life as their way. The government regulations have significant impact on the quality of
life and the value of individual’s life. However, there is continuous debate on the issue that if
government and regulating authorities can decide the value of life or the individuals must have
the right to decide their value at their own without interference from any such regulating body
(Eekelaar, 2017). The essay will analyse the different perspectives on the issue and how value of
human life is controlled by individuals and government authorities.
ESSAY
There have been numerous instances and incidents which reveal that cost of human life is
valued differently. In some circumstances it becomes a matter of conflict between government
and individuals while valuing life. Thus, it is challenging and instead impossible to conclude a
statement that which one of these must have right to value the life. The most common and
dominating examples can be identified in healthcare services. In these organisations there are
many people who are suffering from rare diseases such as cancer, brain tumour or Alzheimer.
The family members or carers of these people are not capable to provide enough support to them
in terms of both emotional and financial.
Apart from this fact, also the sufferers are tired of painful life. Thus, they constantly urge
the health care providers to terminate the treatment and to provide them less painful death.
However, government regulations believe that they are citizens of nation and thus the value of
their life is the legal right of government (Spade, 2015). Hence, they cannot end their life. In the
same context some religious beliefs are also in support that life and death are subject matter of
god thus we do not have the right to end our lives. With such arguments there is strong voice of
sufferers that it is their life and the value of their life must be decided by them not by
government or any other group. The same conflict is also analysed when people want to decide
the value of new born babies, life of disabled people and the life which has not taken birth in the
world.

Government regulations prevent such attempts of abortion or intentional killing due to the
sufferings. The claims provided by the government that no one has right to kill the life that has
not yet arrived in the world but it is also true that the claim of individuals also cannot be
tolerated. For instance some individuals claims that they must be given right to perform abortion
of unwanted child or the child who will be born with disabilities. This group of people believes
that the matter will directly affect the quality of their life so they must have right to decide that if
life of new born must be given value or not. (Bickenbach, 2015). It is also observed that the
individuals who demand that the right to value the life must be handed to individuals only are
accuses government in critical situations and ask for suitable compensation as the value of life.
For example during terrorist attacks or accidents people expect that since the attacks or
destructions due to war are the concerns related to government only thus if there is loss of life
then authorities must pay the equivalent amount of value of life. When family members depends
upon the earnings of deceased then government must pay the suitable value to family as
compensatory cost for the life they lost. In such instances it is expected that those in power must
decide the value of life and give suitable compensation for it (Klabbers, 2017). When individuals
decide their own set of rules for their life style they automatically put a definite value for their
life.
It cannot be denied or completely disagreed that the government involvement through
regulations improves the quality and value of life. For example many people including
youngsters are involved in practices which include risk such as driving after consuming alcohol,
neglecting use of safety precautions such as helmet. This negligence by people increases the risk
of fatalities and thus naturally the value of their life is reduced by their actions (Putting a Price
on the Priceless: One Life, 2007). In order to minimize such degradation in the value of life is
essential that the regulatory authorities must involve in the decisions.
The government restrictions through legal boundaries will prohibit people to avoid their
participation in such risk involving activities which can lower the value of life. However, it is
also observed that the legal restrictions must not take on complete control over the value of life.
The people have complete freedom to choose their life style and resources in the similar way
they are free to value their life. Many activist claims that government must explore its

interference only to control that one should not cause harm to other’ life without their consent.
An individual must have right to decide the value of life.
If people are not happy with their painful living such as in case of rare diseases then they
must be supported in their decision of ending their life so that they can get rid of the painful
event which cannot be cured (Bardi and et.al., 2014). From the economic perspective also the
value of life is determined by the individuals. The people who are working in hazardous
conditions such as in mining industries or other risky areas have higher salaries and benefits as
compare to those who are working in safe environment.
The difference between their benefits can be considered as the monetary value which is
equal to the value of life of people who works in risky working conditions. In the same context
of discussion it is also analysed that some people believes that the life is priceless thus none of
government or individuals can decided its value. However, the people are always ready to pay a
good amount of sum for preventing their life (Should Government Determine the Value of
Human Life?, 2009). This amount paid for improving the quality of life can also be considered as
the value which is given against the life. For example, the auto mobiles which have more safety
features are sold at higher prices and people readily pay for them.
The compensatory value or benefits provided by the public donations or government
agencies in case of terrorist attacks is just to provide the financial support so that their lives can
be improved. However unknowingly people relate this with value of their life and even negotiate
with government and other supporters to raise their value. The state federations also consider
value of life of people for developing community welfare strategies and planning. For example
while making health policies and analysing the loss of lives in fatalities then to measure the
estimated loss of lives these organisations assign value to the lives of individuals.
The federal agencies assume that the estimation and assignment of value to the life makes
the new regulations more effective and influential in terms of outputs. The same value of life is
also been used by business organisations. The investment companies who label the life of a
person with specific price tags are one of the suitable examples to demonstrate the value of life
decided by business organisations and individuals (Sunstein, 2014). The accidental risk and
possibility of the rare diseases encourages many people to take health policies or other insurance

plans. In this manner they are putting a value tag on their life. The subjective matter of putting a
numerical value to the life does not reduce the priceless and precious value of life but makes it
recognisable.
When people find this concept as acceptable and full with dignity then it can be
considered that there is nothing inappropriate if government decide the value of life. The
government organisations always develop policies which support the welfare of entire society
and nation instead of focusing on a particular group or section of people. The role of these
authorise institutes is very crucial in development of nation and its citizens (No one values your
life more than the federal government, 2017). The value given by these regulatory bodies is
according to the actual impact of fatalities, possible risks which can cause harm to the life of
people and estimated losses which must be compensated by value assigned to the life.
It is also analysed that individuals often decide the value of life as per their choices and
life style. For example the people who consume life threatening drugs believe that the use of
these drugs is making their lives better and hence the value of their life is increasing. Contrary to
their strong assumption, in reality the value of their life is deteriorating by their harmful
practices. In such cases the value of their life can be improved by the strategies and strict
regulations implemented by government (Klabbers, 2017). However, the government must bring
some flexibility in its process and ways of assessing value to the life of individuals.
In some aspects people must have freedom to choose or alter the value of their life.
Especially in health care sector the flexibility is necessary. The individuals must have the right to
decide their well being and happiness especially when there are no alternatives available. Like
people with rare diseases must be allowed to decide the value of their life and if they want to end
up that value or want to continue. The government can find some alternative solutions for
addressing this problem which will allow people to assess the value of their life without affecting
the legal regulations. For instance the people who do not wish to continue with disabled child
must be allowed by the government to separate from their guardians.
However instead of reducing their life value to zero they can be enrolled in the care
centres or social organisations that can provide care to such child. In this way both parents and
children will be able to value their life without interference of government or other individuals.

Thus, the government officials put forward their point that individual, carers and health care
professionals must not be given right to decide the value of life that which lives must be
sustained and which should be protected. Every individual has right to live and thus others
cannot decide the value of life (Parent, 2017). Even in the case of people with disabilities and
rare diseases, it is their temporary pain and depression which demands such requirements to end
life. Instead of disrupting the natural system of life and death such people must be provided with
the psychological and emotional support so that they can again live their lives with hope and
happiness. The financial support and emotional care can help such people to recover from the
pain. Thus, it can be said that giving every individual right to define the value of their life cannot
be considered as the good option. The legal and social structure can achieve this purpose with
more efficiency and accuracy. The life is valuable and thus the risk of fatalities can be minimized
when its value will be predicted and regulated by the government instead of allowing different
individuals to assign value. Various people will assign value according to their emotional state
thus there will be an imbalance which can also cause adverse impact on the lives of individuals
(Shestack, 2017).Thus, it can be concluded that the value of life must be decided by the
government so that community and social welfare is not compromised in the name of liberty or
freedom to value life.
CONCLUSION
From the essay it can be concluded that the life if precious and it should be valued and
respect. The individuals have freedom to value their life as per their wish but there must be a
control mechanism through government regulations. The role of government is important in
valuing life so that people do not underestimate the life of others. It is also possible that these
regulations may prevent individuals from determining the value of their life but this should be
addressed with due care and communication. Thus, it can be concluded from the report that
neither government should decide the value of life nor individuals must have this right. Instead,
the joint venture of both can accurately provide a suitable value to the life.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Bardi, A., Buchanan, K.E., and et.al., 2014. Value stability and change during self-chosen life
transitions: Self-selection versus socialization effects. Journal of personality and social
psychology. 106(1). p.131.
Bickenbach, J.E., 2015. Disability and life-ending decisions. In Physician Assisted Suicide (pp.
123-132). Routledge.
Eekelaar, J., 2017. Family law and personal life. Oxford University Press.
Klabbers, J., 2017. The Life and Times of the Law of International Organizations.
In International Organizations (pp. 151-181). Routledge.
Parent, W.A., 2017. Privacy, morality, and the law. In Privacy(pp. 105-124). Routledge.
Shestack, J.J., 2017. The philosophic foundations of human rights. In Human Rights (pp. 3-36).
Routledge.
Spade, D., 2015. Normal life: Administrative violence, critical trans politics, and the limits of
law. Duke University Press.
Sunstein, C.R., 2014. Valuing life: Humanizing the regulatory state. University of Chicago
Press.
Online
No one values your life more than the federal government, 2017 [Online] Accessed through
<https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2017-value-of-life/ >
Putting a Price on the Priceless: One Life, 2007 [Online] Accessed through
<https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/09/weekinreview/09marsh.html >
Should Government Determine the Value of Human Life?, 2009 [Online] Accessed through
<https://www.dailysignal.com/2009/07/21/should-government-determine-the-value-of-
human-life/ >