# Value of a single human life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 25, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664 "2010-05-25T02:51:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/1 "2010-05-25T02:51:19Z")
How much of your tax money would you be alright spending if you knew,100%, that it would save an unknown persons life. Without spending that money they will die with 100% certainty. Is there a limit? If so how do you determine it? Does your answer change if you have to watch them die? ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/2 "2010-05-25T02:53:43Z")
three fifty ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/3 "2010-05-25T02:55:22Z")
Uh, oh, ah, I dunno, just around three fitty. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/4 "2010-05-25T03:37:20Z")
1. Definitely 42. (The answer to the OP, as opposed to the ultimate question, is: it depends. If it’s not someone I know and I have no emotion bond with this theoretical person, then it’s going to depend on the person. Is it a child? A woman? Man? Are they mothers/fathers? There are an almost endless number of variables that will effect my own answer here. A 20 year old drug dealer in Chicago is probably going to elicit less sympathy from me than a struggling single mother in Costa Rica. A father of 3 in New Deli is going to rate higher than a warlord in Africa, etc etc. Having to watch them die would be less important than who they were and how much of an emotional response they drew out of me on the cursory examination I’d presumably be give.). -XT ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/5 "2010-05-25T03:55:18Z")
The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has [valued the worth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/19/ST2008071900185.html) of a human life at $7.2 million. So when it comes to deciding whether to implement a regulation, if it costs more than that per life saved it’s simply “not worth it.” I’m comfortable with using that number for other applications as well, like Universal Health Care. If it’s going to cost the U.S government more than $7.2 million for your lifetime in medical bills, sorry but we’re pulling the plug. But I’ve never heard of anybody who has racked up medical bills like that so I don’t think it’s a major concern. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/6 "2010-05-25T04:10:15Z")
How about a married human life? ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/7 "2010-05-25T04:37:40Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > The U.S Environmental Protection Agency has [valued the worth](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/07/19/ST2008071900185.html) of a human life at $7.2 million. So when it comes to deciding whether to implement a regulation, if it costs more than that per life saved it’s simply “not worth it.” So if my maths is right, that’s about 2c per US citizen. Say 4c per taxpayer. That’s not very much. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/8 "2010-05-25T04:50:42Z")
Am I footing the bill entirely, or is the expense shared by all taxpayers? > [@Cubsfan](#): > > Does your answer change if you have to watch them die? Possibly, depending who it is, I might pay more to watch the slacker die. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/9 "2010-05-25T05:01:40Z")
I’m going for “tree fitty”… But, if I get to watch 'em die, I’ll go for twice that. If I get to pull the trigger, I’ll pay 4x that. ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/10 "2010-05-25T05:06:57Z")
Ya know, dude, there’s something called a “cost/benefit analysis”. If it’s 7.2 mil to definitely save 1, and that’s it, versus 7.2 mil to have a 10% chance to save each of 100, that would be 10 saved in the second case versus 1 saved in the first case, at the same price. I gotta go with the second case, and screw the “1” in the first… ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/11 "2010-05-25T05:20:50Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > How much of your tax money would you be alright spending if you knew,100%, that it would save an unknown persons life. I don’t know - too many variables. What type of person, how am I saving them, what am I saving them from? > [@](#): > > Without spending that money they will die with 100% certainty. Is there a limit? No. I’m assuming by “tax money” you mean what proportion of the money I’m already taxed would I allocate to this, not what rate I’m willing to be taxed at to save this life. > [@](#): > > If so how do you determine it? See above > [@](#): > > Does your answer change if you have to watch them die? No. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/12 "2010-05-25T18:05:30Z")
I’m prepared to spend $1. You said “a” life, and you didn’t say that there was a reserve. …So they live? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/13 "2010-05-25T18:41:55Z")
Depends on whose life we’re talking about. Drew Brees? Price be damned, save that man and get him in shape for the season. JaMarcus Russell? Fuck him and his $39 million for 7 career wins in the NFL. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/14 "2010-05-25T18:46:26Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Am I footing the bill entirely, or is the expense shared by all taxpayers? This makes rather a large difference - have we got an answer to this yet? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/15 "2010-05-25T19:24:54Z")
since it’s tax it will make no sense that one person is footing the entire bill for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/16 "2010-05-25T19:51:15Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > If it’s going to cost the U.S government more than $7.2 million for your lifetime in medical bills, sorry but we’re pulling the plug. But I’ve never heard of anybody who has racked up medical bills like that so I don’t think it’s a major concern. 4 million babies born every year. I think the government probably has to pull the plug way before we hit 7.2 million. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/17 "2010-05-25T19:52:17Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > So if my maths is right, that’s about 2c per US citizen. Say 4c per taxpayer. > > That’s not very much. Now multiply that by 300 million. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/18 "2010-05-25T20:20:20Z")
> [@shijinn](#): > > since it’s tax it will make no sense that one person is footing the entire bill for anything. Fair eoungh - I’ll pay three fifty, which is _grandly_ more than my share. I’ll even go the extra mile and pay that _in addition to_ my regular taxes if necessary. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Now multiply that by 300 million. What’s killing the 300 million people? And besides them, who’s paying the tax? Are you asking what every person is willing to pay to save their _own_ life? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/19 "2010-05-26T21:03:33Z")
It’s a silly question because it doesn’t really work like that. What is “three fifty”? ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2010, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664/20 "2010-05-26T21:30:57Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > It’s a silly question because it doesn’t really work like that. Which question is silly, and why doesn’t “it” work like “that”? > [@msmith537](#): > > What is “three fifty”? Three dollars and fifty cents, same as most other people in here have offered. Which by **Aspidistra** ’s math gives the government around 630 million dollars to save the poor sod with, give or take a few dozen percent. If one then turns around and asks me to donate comparable amounts of money for each of 300 million people, then obviously 1) that’s stupid, and 2) that’s not going to happen, because I do not happen to have a trillion dollars to give. Clearly if there’s that kind of catyclysm in the works we’re going to have to find an approach that doesn’t cost a quintillion dollars to implement, or just resign ourself to letting some significant percentage of the poor sods die. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/value-of-a-single-human-life/540664.md?page=2)