Intrinsic and Market Values

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

 In the beginning, 

God created the heavens and the earth. 

(Gen 1:1)

This immense value of the human being arises from God’s immense power. The observation that God created the heavens and the earth means that they belong to him by creative right. God’s social position is second to none. Because God values human beings, their life has intrinsic value—value that does not change with circumstances—and that value is enormous. The concept of human rights arises from the intrinsic value of being created in the image of God. A tiny fraction of infinity is still infinite.

The Death Penalty

The derivative value of human life arises in the biblical discussion of the death penalty.  We read: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (Gen 9:6) This implies that an attack on human beings is an attack on God himself, with explicit reference to the word, icon, used in Genesis 1:26-27. Taking human life is a sacrilege whose penalty is to forfeit your own life. Essentially, human life is sacred.

The hedge placed around human life is similar to the hedge that Moses placed around Mount Sinai. We read: “And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, Take care not to go up into the mountain [Mount Sinai] or touch the edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death.” (Exod 19:12) This hedge is a consequence of God’s holiness because holy means both sacred and set apart.  Like diamonds in a vault, we protect things of value.

Why the high value of human life in Hebrew culture? We can only speculate that for a nation composed of ex-slaves who would have been abused in every possible way, placing a high value on human life (and by inference condemning any sort of abuse) would be a high priority. Abused people are often sensitive to being touched. The Biblical taboo on sexual deviance and abuse is rooted in historical experience of slavery.

Reducing penalties in capital cases has the practical advantage of reducing the violence targeting police as they apprehend murderers and reducing cost of conviction when prosecutors cut plea deals. It is also often argued that murder is often a crime of passion (or youthful indiscretion) where severe penalties provide no deterrent. Because almost all murder trials are highly publicized, the deterrent effect of a death penalty can be enormous. 

The Slippery Slope

Setting aside the practical benefits of eliminating the death penalty, reducing the penalty for murder has the direct consequence of reducing the sacredness of human life. If murderers can negotiate their way to a reduced penalty, then why not serial killers and mass murderers? This slippery slope is responsible for the increased social strife that we are now experiencing.

Reducing the penalty for murder also violates the social contract that gave the civil authority the exclusive right to yield power. Police officers carry both a badge (a symbol of authority) and a gun (a symbol of power). Prior to the Enlightenment, blood vengeance and honor fights, such as dueling, were the norm. When judges are viewed as unfair or too lenient on murderers, people riot. The riots following police shootings raise the specter of this violated social contract. This is not racial issue, per se. 

The sacredness of human life requires justice. If the justice system employs market values rather than intrinsic values in determining penalties, then murderers will be punished according to the financial and social status of their victims. If you compare the Ten Commandments with other legal systems in the ancient near east, they differ in having only one set of laws for everyone. The other systems all embody one set of penalties for aristocrats and another set for everyone else (e.g. Arnold and Beyer 2002, 104-117). Judges need no victim impact statements if life is sacred. Racial differences in penalties mirror this increased reliance on market rather than intrinsic values.

Human rights—a concept based on intrinsic value—exist because we are created in the image of a Holy God. If the sovereignty of God or his existence is questioned, then the sacredness of human life is diminished as we slide down along the slippery slope. Milestones along the slippery slope include less concern for discrimination, injustice, abuse, mistreatment of prisoners, weapons of mass destruction, euthanasia, abortion, designer babies, and a host of other detestable practices.

Shouting louder about any of these issues is a vain exercise if we disrespect God and forget that we are created in his image.

Intrinsic Versus Market Value

Our capitalist society focuses, not on intrinsic values, but on market values. Market values change with volatile circumstances. Your market value as a person implicitly depends on your productivity. If you are young, old, or unable to work, then you are a dependent and a burden on working people. The focus on market values inherently disrespects God’s image. When God is not honored, neither are we.

The strong influence of market values on our self-image explains, in part, why depression rates tend to be highest among population groups who are unable to work. The rate of depression, suicide, anxiety disorders, addictions, and divorce appear to be correlated with changing job prospects. Is it any wonder why elderly people become so depressed that they need to be medicated? As their physical and financial strength wanes, their mental state declines under a market value assessment..

Economists value human life by asking questions like: How much life insurance do you purchase? This is a market-value measure of self-worth. Market values go up and down. At age 25, I might only buy a little life insurance while at age 40 I might buy considerably more. Circumstances change our assessment of both perceived needs and self-worth.

God’s Sovereignty

God’s sovereignty is our sovereignty. While God’s domain is the universe, our domain is our family, the church, and work in the community. In God’s economy, we are sovereign in our domain analogous to God’s sovereignty in his domain. Our self-image should reflect this sovereignty even though, in Christ, we yield it with humility, much like our Heavenly Father.

References

Arnold, Bill T. And Bryan E. Beyer. 2002. Readings from the Ancient Near East. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

Intrinsic and Market Values
Also see:
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
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