Child Death

[Marter]

I understand your point on this, but are any of us truly aware of our own death? We mourn the dead because they cannot mourn for themselves, I agree that a child isn't as fully aware of themselves and their possible future at their age, but their elders are and would be distressed at such a loss to say the least.

We may not be aware of death, but we are aware of life, and the happiness that it can give us.

I'm not saying we shouldn't grieve for a child, I'm just questioning why their loss is considered worse than someone who actually loses something. A young child doesn't lose much upon death, while an adult could lose their family and the actual joys of being alive.

 

[Sir Kemper]

It's sad becuase It means that something that had a full life adead of it never got to live it.


It just seems sad and unfair, that, and really, Children aren't supposed to die, ask me what I mean later.

 

[cameron112497]

Que someone bringing up that this is exactly like a discussion about abortion. oh wait...

 

[child of lileth]

Because the children haven't had time to piss anyone off yet? I'm not really sure. I always assumed it was because, in general, people tend to care way more for any random average infant child than they do for any random average adult. I kinda always wondered why people like children more too, now that I think about it.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Christ, what a dumb question. Why the hell do you think? It's for the reasons everyone has told you.

Ass.

It's a better question than you're giving credit for, and it's very assumptious to say that the previous answers are definitly right. They offer insight, but they aren't definitly the answer. The answer could be just as much about instinct as philosophy. I think we probably do have a need to protect things that aren't that well equipped to protect themselves, babies, small animals. The extra ill feelings when a child dies might be spurred on by feelings of guilt or inadequacy in not being able to see the child through to adulthood. I'm sure alot of people would claim that kind of guilt should only be reserved for the parents, but I think that children are raised by communities and the environment beyond their household. I'm sure there are plenty of decent parents who have children in gangs simply because of where they live...not sure where I'm going with this.

We do get invested in the propogation of the species...not always on an intellectual level.

 

[Marter]

Que someone bringing up that this is exactly like a discussion about abortion. oh wait...

I actually didn't even have abortion in mind when I made this thread, but now that you mention it, they are similar. >_>

 

[InconceivableTruth]

Because we have an evolutionary propensity towards protecting and raising children.

It's also postulated this is why we like cute, fluffy things like Maltese.

Yeah, it's not anymore complicated than that...

 

[StrangerMouse]

Because children have not yet had the chance to live out their lives. Nor have they had much chance to cause massive problems.

 

[Dr. Whiggs]

It wasn't a good question the first three-dozen times I heard it and the answers aren't any deeper than "cute" and "innocent," despite what that semester of philosophy told you.

 

[archvile93]

Because they're not expected to die. It's more sad if someone still has their whole life to live, then say, an 90 year old person.

But what about someone in their 30s-50s? They still have quite a bit to live for, but are grieved for far less than a child who hasn't done any good for the world.

That may be true, but that's because they haven't had the chance. It feels like their life has been brutally cut short, whereas someone in their 30s-50s has had a little bit more time on the planet, so it doesn't feel like as much of a waste.

I suppose where I'm coming from is this: Adults have probably done some good in their lives, as well as experienced happiness. At least, that is in most cases. Younger children on the other hand, have done had neither of these. Potential is something that is wasted in many cases. They aren't cognitive enough in their thinking to realize what life has to offer, and therefore don't lose anything upon death.

Except the oppertunity to experience it, something the adults at least did.

 

[lSHaDoW-FoXl]

Sorry. I give no special privileges to any child. I find kids usually ten times more annoying over adults which are often times more developed. More often I feel most sorry for the old guy or the teenager just being a teenager.

Why? Not sure.

 

[Marter]

Go look at a dead body of an adult, and a dead body of a child. Which one hits you harder emotionally?

An adult, as they have lost more by dying. That's why I posted this thread. To figure out why society deems a child's death to be worse.

 

[Blue Musician]

Because they're not expected to die. It's more sad if someone still has their whole life to live, then say, an 90 year old person.

But what about someone in their 30s-50s? They still have quite a bit to live for, but are grieved for far less than a child who hasn't done any good for the world.

Because...
Damn, you really made a good point. But I'd guess because a child could possibly become someone important, for example, like a great musician.
But other than that, you made a good point, it made me think actually.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

Because it's built into us to protect children? Seriously where would society be if it *didn't* place a greater focus on the wellbeing of our chioldren then of the current adult generations? The whole mantra that 'our children should live better than we' is a common troupe that exists cross culturally.

I think it is also indicative of Humanity's inate ability to see reason. In that survival of the species and the logic that children (even those not related to us) are the future and therefore they represent an investment into the continued prosperity of the species.

So because they represent this investment in the future, we should give them every possible chance to grow and give them the absolutely best environment to thrive and develop so that they may not be so jaded as we towards the cruelty that is life and experience.

So, from a rational perspective, children are the most important members of society because they represent that which will be our legacy as a culture and species. I think each human more or less understands that and thus wants to create a better world not for ourselves but those that will inherit the Earth from us.

But that's my two cents <.<

That beingh said I'm stating the philosophical 'ought to' as opposed to 'what is' scenario. The world is a shitty place to grow up. Regardless of where you live. Ecological catastrophes, widespread famine, rampant disease (albeit better than in some centuries previous), political and civil strife.

But I think the average person knows that the world can be better and realise that it's their duty to act as moral and decent human beings if only because future generations deserve nothing less.

 

[Blatherscythe]

Because they haven't truly had a chance to live yet. The adult you mentioned had lived his/her life at least for a bit, a 6 year old has not. Another reason is that we tend to view children under the age of 6 to be "innocent" usually they don't realize that actions have consequences, heck you even look in jails across the country, even hardened criminals tend to share this view with us (that's why pedophiles have it worse off in jail especially if they killed the kid). But when it's all said and done it comes down to the type of person you are, some people just aren't affected by tragedys as much as another person.

 

[Dr. Whiggs]

Sorry. I give no special privileges to any child. I find kids usually ten times more annoying over adults which are often times more developed. More often I feel most sorry for the old guy or the teenager just being a teenager.

Why? Not sure.

I think your avatar answered that question for you.

 

[Dr. Whiggs]

Go look at a dead body of an adult, and a dead body of a child. Which one hits you harder emotionally?

An adult, as they have lost more by dying. That's why I posted this thread. To figure out why society deems a child's death to be worse.

You've already decided society is wrong and you won't hear the answers to your question.

That is why you continue to violate your original question (the effect on others) with your perception (the effect on the deceased). That is why this is a pointless exercise.

 

[night_chrono]

I am going to pull a 180 and say we need to kill children because there are to many of them.

 

[Addendum_Forthcoming]

I am going to pull a 180 and say we need to kill children because there are to many of them.

Spare the kids, kill the parents that are having too many kids. As much as I hate to offend people but 'parents' in Africa that continue to have children when they know they can't feed one little alone SIX are, for lack of a better word, social criminals that deserve nothing less <.<

 

[Hawkeye16]

Its based on instict. We instictively want to protect children. Thus seeing them die makes us sadder then seeing an adult die.