11. Calculating The Value Of A Life

This article is a tough one to read; the main idea behind it is: "if there were two people of different ages, and you could only save one, which one would you choose?" Doctors actually have a system for calculating that, but the general opinion among doctors differs. People often get really uncomfortable making such decisions in a hypothetical context, and those that do often try to go by the majority's opinion. The majority's opinion seems to be that adolescents are the average top priority in most situations. Possibly because older people have lived longer, and adolescents still have their whole lives ahead of them. The article ends mentioning that the author, Matthew Hutson, is currently working on a book that explores taboos in our culture.

The article is extremely attention-gripping. It ventures into the shaky territory of moral questions, yet it delivers food for thought rather than an argument. The author has a good use of grammar, the language is clear and easy to read, and appropriate. He uses a satisfying amount of quotes; not too much but not too little. The conclusion was satisfying, and not abrupt as is the case in many other articles.