ABSTRACT

We come to the end. The journey has been long, and the landscape varied. Assessment of social worth has been the common road traveled. Through - out, we have been guided by two deeply important moral imperatives: life is sacred (intrinsically important) and should be protected, and suffering, once detected, should be alleviated. A single question has been asked: how do communities go about justifying the violation of these imperatives while holding firm to their importance? The short answer is this: boundaries are drawn, priorities are set, and dilemmas are resolved. In the process, a sense of differential social worth is established, as moral imperatives involving the protection of life and alleviation of suffering remain operable but not applicable. What general lessons can be drawn from the journey we have taken?