What’s the value of life?
The complexity of the human body is truly one of the most magnificent structures ever to exist. A single foot comprises 38 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles—held in place by 2 tendons—all of which work in unison for one simple task: walking. These bones, joints, and muscles get even more complex at the microscopic level. But is that it? To answer this, I journeyed into the realm of healthcare—outside of my intellectual comfort zone.
After countless intensive cold email attempts, I gained the opportunity to shadow the most prestigious cardiovascular doctors at UC Irvine Medical Center. My time there led me to understand the elegance of the human body and simultaneously flooded me with insight into the body’s fragility.
But is it the human body that makes humans greater than other organisms? If physical abilities were the standard to determine which organism is the greatest, humans would fall behind—a gorilla, for example, is physically superior to humans. Therefore, we can comfortably conclude that it isn’t the human body that makes us greater than other organisms but something else. What is it then?
To answer this question, I had to go somewhere which dealt with the “living” side of humans. Thus, my time shadowing at an Outpatient Cardiovascular Clinic (OMC) began, where I witnessed the human mind's impact on the body.
Combining the knowledge I gained from the cognitive and physical sides of the human body, I attempted to solidify my understanding of human value by writing a research paper under the mentorship of a Ph.D candidate at Columbia University. I investigated the causal relationship between comorbid anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular diseases. I ultimately concluded that rationality, an aspect of the human mind with its strengths and flaws, is what makes humans valuable.
After searching all this time, I still don’t have an objective explanation for why humans are ultimately so valuable, but this is what makes philosophy something I love! No straightforward answers, only questions!