Question

Frey talks about the value of life being determined by the amount of enrichment one does in their lifespan. How is the value of life determined?

Answer 1

• The value of life is determined by the amount of enrichment one can do in one's life.Most animals do not have the same capacity for enrichment as most humans do.Human life is more valuable than animal life.
• It does not matter that animals are not self-conscious or have a language or belief system, they can suffer and this is enough for them to "count" morally, and human life is more valuable than animal life.
• One can perfectly consistently oppose cruelty to all sentient creatures without having to suppose that
  the lives of all such creatures are equally valuable.
• For Frey what matters is not life but quality of life. The value of a life is a function of its quality, its quality of its richness, and its richness of its capacities and scope for enrichment; it matters, then, what a creature’s capacities for a rich life are. While a dog’s life may be enriched by playing fetch, that enrichment, Frey said, has a low ceiling.
• Human beings can create and appreciate art, break scientific boundaries, and strive for excellence in myriad fields. Animals cannot.Education which gives people the ability to enrich themselves serves as a tool for providing equal opportunity to become wealthy.
• A human can have a job, education, chidren, hobbies, pursuits etc but a rabbit cannot do anything really other than reproduce.