Originally posted by carpedm9587
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Nothing has inherent worth, so comparing the "inherent worth" of a human and the "inherent worth" of a housefly is the equivalent of comparing the "ephemeral essence" of a human versus the "ephemeral essence" of a housefly. The terms are essentially meaningless. Worth/value are measured by a valuer. So a human has more "worth" or "value" to me than a housefly because of their respective relationships to my life. Nature or the universe doesn't have "inherent worth." To the universe, a housefly, a rock, or a human are equivalent - just different organizations of matter. Humans infer worth based on what we value. Most humans value other humans above rocks and houseflies. It is only human arrogance that thinks somehow this value is "inherent" to humanity itself. That is probably why we place "things that benefit us" over and above any concern about any other life or the planet itself.
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