"To see ourselves as others see us is a most salutary gift. Hardly less important is the capacity to see others as they see themselves." - Aldous Huxley
Can one life be less significant than another?
With the discovery of a small brown mouse in the corner of the kitchen, and my flat mates’ surprising fear for the modest creature, I found myself faced with an unfortunate problem that appeared to have no possible positive outcome for the new house guest. The overwhelming number of responses to kill it disheartened me greatly and made me start to question why it is that a life of such a creature was so undervalued and almost completely disregarded. What makes one life more valuable than another? This question is a common one that relates both between and within species. I believe valuing any life above another is the core to contributor to every form of inequality – be it race, gender, class etc. For you to put your life above someone else’s you are inadvertently saying that his or her life is worth less than yours. Then again, is it worth anything at all? This question brought me back to Albert Camus’ observation of people’s need to find meaning in life, in his novel The Stranger. Left with a lifeless body and Camus’ existential/absurdist views, I leave you to decide for yourself the significance of your life and its value compared to the lives of those around you.
With the discovery of a small brown mouse in the corner of the kitchen, and my flat mates’ surprising fear for the modest creature, I found myself faced with an unfortunate problem that appeared to have no possible positive outcome for the new house guest. The overwhelming number of responses to kill it disheartened me greatly and made me start to question why it is that a life of such a creature was so undervalued and almost completely disregarded. What makes one life more valuable than another? This question is a common one that relates both between and within species. I believe valuing any life above another is the core to contributor to every form of inequality – be it race, gender, class etc. For you to put your life above someone else’s you are inadvertently saying that his or her life is worth less than yours. Then again, is it worth anything at all? This question brought me back to Albert Camus’ observation of people’s need to find meaning in life, in his novel The Stranger. Left with a lifeless body and Camus’ existential/absurdist views, I leave you to decide for yourself the significance of your life and its value compared to the lives of those around you.
