History Main / WhatMeasureIsANonHuman

* [[CloningBlues Clones]], [[ExpendableAlternateUniverse parallel universe duplicates]], and other {{Doppelganger}}s are [[ExpendableClone often considered expendable]], even if they absolutely ''are'' biologically human and independent individuals with unique personalities. Restoring an AI from a backup copy is often treated like a DisneyDeath. This is all provided at least one "instance" of each character survives. ("Sorry, but we only need one flannel shirt-wearing comic relief guy.") The thing is, [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00383.htm it should be more like a twin sibling dying,]] instead it's a more casual ImmortalLifeIsCheap. See also AngstySurvivingTwin.

Intelligence, emotions, [[MoralityTropes moral compass]] and whether the character in question is [[TheUndead actually alive in the conventional sense]] are usually what dictate the morality of the situation. But more often than not, it's also based upon the human-like [[SlidingScaleOfAnthromorphism physical]] and [[HumansAreSpecial psychological]] traits the character has (an issue further explored in [[http://www.fanboy.com/2010/01/are-humans-biased-to-thinking-that-only-humanoids-are-intelligent.html this blog post]]). The sliding scale usually goes something like this:

Intelligence and emotions, and whether the character in question is actually alive in the conventional sense, are usually what dictate the morality of the situation. But more often than not, it's based upon how human-like the character is (an issue further explored in [[http://www.fanboy.com/2010/01/are-humans-biased-to-thinking-that-only-humanoids-are-intelligent.html this blog post]]). The sliding scale usually goes something like this:

In general, the more thought that is put into the script, the more value nonhuman life will have. This trope is TruthInTelevision- many breeds of parrots in RealLife have a voice that qualifies them as a human, yet aren't given the same rights as Homo sapiens. See also ThatPoorPlant, OfThePeople, ZombieAdvocate, InhumanableAlienRights, VanHelsingHateCrimes, and FantasticRacism. The flipside of sorts is WhatMeasureIsANonSuper. Related tropes are UncannyValley, TheyWouldCutYouUp, and EmergencyTransformation. Contrast with AndroidsArePeopleToo.

In general, the more thought that is put into the script, the more value nonhuman life will have. This trope is often used as a metaphor for the RealLife issues of animal and human rights. See also ThatPoorPlant, OfThePeople, ZombieAdvocate, InhumanableAlienRights, VanHelsingHateCrimes, and FantasticRacism. The flipside of sorts is WhatMeasureIsANonSuper. Related tropes are UncannyValley, TheyWouldCutYouUp, and EmergencyTransformation. Contrast with AndroidsArePeopleToo.

** WhatMeasureIsANonHuman/{{DCAU}}

There is an [[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality invisible value]] placed on the existence of non-human characters in fiction, compared with the value of the life of a human. Killing/destroying one may or may not be the same thing as [[ThouShaltNotKill killing a human]]. The difference between NotEvenHuman on one end of the scale and NotQuiteHuman on the other can be a very fine one, and where a series chooses to draw that line can vary as wildly as the writers' imaginations.

* On to living things. The value of the life of a non-human [[AnimalMotifs animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by InfantImmortality but [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders and [[BugWar insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision. To paraphrase an old Denis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]

In general, the more thought that is put into the script, the more value nonhuman life will have. This trope is often used as a metaphor for the RealLife issues of animal and human rights. See also ThatPoorPlant, OfThePeople, ZombieAdvocate, InhumanableAlienRights VanHelsingHateCrimes, and FantasticRacism. The flipside of sorts is WhatMeasureIsANonSuper. Related tropes are UncannyValley, TheyWouldCutYouUp, and EmergencyTransformation. Contrast with AndroidsArePeopleToo.

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]], while they are technically among the undead, have variable ranges simply because they usually have more personality. Most characters can kill them anyway even if they're [[TechnicalPacifist Technical Pacifists]]. Certain depictions of Franchise/{{Batman}} and King Graham from ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' have killed off {{Dracula}} with favorable karmic results (With Graham, the FanRemake takes a different route), even when killing ''anything'' is anathema to them. The idea here, as well as with the other undead mentioned above, may be "Well, technically, they're ''already'' dead, so it's okay! And anyway, Vampires are AlwaysChaoticEvil!"

This also tends to happen in a metafictional way: many animated series' and video games can [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar get away with horrific violence and onscreen deaths]] that the censors would've put a quick stop to (or at least given the work a higher rating) had the victims been Human. Robots, the Undead, and the like can be brutally impaled, dismembered, and decapitated onscreen, using this trope on the MoralGuardians even if the work itself averts or subverts the trope in-universe.

-->--'''Dr. [=McNinja=]''', ''Webcomic/TheAdventuresOfDrMcNinja''

** WhatMeasureIsANonHuman/DCAU

** WhatMeasureIsANonHuman/DCAnimatedUniverse

* On to living things.
* The value of the life of a non-human [[AnimalMotifs animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by InfantImmortality but [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders and [[BugWar insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision. To paraphrase an old Denis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]

* [[CloningBlues Clones]], [[ExpendableAlternateUniverse parallel universe duplicates]], and other {{Doppelganger}}s are [[ExpendableClone often considered expendable]], even if they absolutely ''are'' biologically human and independent individuals with unique personalities. Restoring an AI from a backup copy is often treated like a DisneyDeath. This is all provided at least one "instance" of each character survives. ("Sorry, but we only need one flannel shirt-wearing comic relief guy.") The thing is, [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00383.htm it should be more like a twin sibling dying,]] instead it's a more casual ImmortalLifeIsCheap. See also AngstySurvivingTwin.

* On to living things. The value of the life of a non-human [[AnimalMotifs animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by InfantImmortality but [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders and [[BugWar insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision. To paraphrase an old Denis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]

In general, the more thought that is put into the script, the more value nonhuman life will have. This trope is often used as a metaphor for the RealLife issues of animal and human rights. See also ThatPoorPlant, OfThePeople, ZombieAdvocate, InhumanableAlienRights and VanHelsingHateCrimes. The flipside of sorts is WhatMeasureIsANonSuper. Related tropes are UncannyValley, TheyWouldCutYouUp, and EmergencyTransformation. Contrast with AndroidsArePeopleToo.

There is an [[SortingAlgorithmOfMortality invisible value]] placed on the existence of non-human characters in fiction, compared to the value of the life of a human. Killing/destroying one may or may not be the same thing as [[ThouShaltNotKill killing a human]]. The difference between NotEvenHuman on one end of the scale and NotQuiteHuman on the other can be a very fine one, and where a series chooses to draw that line can vary as wildly as the writers' imaginations.

[[quoteright:200:[[KyouranKazokuNikki http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cit_kyouran_kazoku_nikki_-_catgirl_vs_mandrake_-_will_it_blend.jpg]]]]

[[caption-width-right:200:Proposed alternate measure: [[WillItBlend Will it]] [[http://www.willitblend.com/ blend?]]]]

->''"Boy, [[JustAMachine if those employees weren't robots]], I would have looked like some kind of serial killer or something, eh?"''

** There are some exceptions in the very, very rare works where the zombies are not entirely mindless and retain a bit more personality and/or self-control. One example of this (albeit one that some viewers found ridiculous) is the 2008 remake of ''DayOfTheDead''. It is eventually revealed that certain zombies not only don't eat people, but are completely non-violent. Because of this, multiple characters argue over whether or not it's okay to kill them. They ''are'' [[CarnivoreConfusion zombies]], but they aren't hurting anyone. More on this in the Film section.

** If a SoapboxSadie is present, you can get a major talking-to for this, but it's never really taken seriously, like the character, and is often played for comedy.
* Robots and Artificial Intelligence stories examine this quite a lot in their plots, for example in the writings of Creator/IsaacAsimov. Good robots and other MechanicalLifeforms are considered people most of the time. Killing one is generally the karmic equivalent of killing a human the same way -- except that it is easier to show them getting hurt (think of poor Bishop in ''Film/{{Aliens}}''), which gets awkward. MechaMooks and bad robots almost always have a very low value in this regard, even if they demonstrate [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots obvious personalities, emotions]], and [[CreativeSterility humanlike intelligence]]. Regardless, robots are the most frequent victims of the "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt How Did You Know That Mook]] [[NotEvenHuman Wasn't Human]]?" "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt I Didn't!]]" trope. It's JustAMachine, after all. It probably helps that when a robot dies WeCanRebuildHim more easily than [[CameBackWrong bring back a human]] (which is a source of superiority as well: human life is more complicated, probably because robots are almost ''always'' written as not having [[OurSoulsAreDifferent souls]] even if they are sentient), making them more expendable.

* And then there is an uncomfortable border line occupied by characters who ''are'' human -- but since they aren't "normal", they aren't considered as such. Good {{Cyborg}}s, if the brain is still intact, are almost always considered human, except by the persecutors who harass them. Bad Cyborgs are treated on the same scale as MechaMooks. Other "partially disembodied" entities, whether they [[BrainInAJar once were humans]] or [[WetwareCPU were made like that]] run the entire spectrum from being accepted as variant humans to "kill them just to end their supposedly nightmarish existence and go drink some BrainBleach". The same can be said for {{Transhuman}} characters.
** [[CloningBlues Clones]], [[ExpendableAlternateUniverse parallel universe duplicates]], and other {{Doppelganger}}s are [[ExpendableClone often considered expendable]], even if they absolutely ''are'' biologically human and independent individuals with unique personalities. Restoring an AI from a backup copy is often treated like a DisneyDeath. This is all provided at least one "instance" of each character survives. ("Sorry, but we only need one flannel shirt-wearing comic relief guy.") The thing is, [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00383.htm it should be more like a twin sibling dying,]] instead it's a more casual ImmortalLifeIsCheap. See also AngstySurvivingTwin.
* Supernatural entities vary depending on alignment. Typically demons are on the same level as undead.

* On to living things. The value of the life of a non-human [[AnimalMotifs animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by InfantImmortality but [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders and [[BugWar insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision. To paraphrase an old Denis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]
* [[ThatPoorPlant Plants, protists, fungi, bacteria, and so on and so forth]] do not count on this scale. Except sometimes when tropes like PlantAliens, {{Planimal}}, PlantPeople, and WhenTreesAttack come into play. Or if the organism is a member of an endangered species. Or if you're talking about destroying an entire forest, since that's on such a large scale and since there are animals in the forest that could die or get their habitats destroyed.
** If a SoapboxSadie is present, you can get a major talking-to for this, but it's never really taken seriously, like the character, and is often played for comedy.
* [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters Of The Week]], [[{{Kaiju}} Giant]] [[{{Robeast}} Monsters]] and BigCreepyCrawlies are generally treated as huge pests and exterminated as such without much controversy, typically in self defense. There are some exceptions. If you are a monster, the more you resemble a more conventional specimen of the creature you are based upon, the fewer people you directly harm, and (most importantly) the more personality you have, the better your chances are for surviving. Some human or other will recognize that you are merely misunderstood and may try to help you. Of course, if you eat ''that'' human, you're pretty much boned.
* If the BigBad is revealed to be [[NotEvenHuman non-human]] as a TomatoSurprise or [[OneWingedAngel assuming his monstrous true form]], it usually makes it OK to kill them if it wasn't before. Double points if that form is that of [[ScaledUp a snake or other reptile]].

In general, the more thought that is put into the script, the more value nonhuman life will have. This trope is often used as a metaphor for the RealLife issues of animal and human rights. See also ThatPoorPlant, OfThePeople, ZombieAdvocate and VanHelsingHateCrimes. The flipside of sorts is WhatMeasureIsANonSuper. Related tropes are UncannyValley, TheyWouldCutYouUp, and EmergencyTransformation. Contrast with AndroidsArePeopleToo.

* Robots and Artificial Intelligence stories examine this quite a lot in their plots, for example in the writings of Creator/IsaacAsimov. Good robots and other MechanicalLifeforms are considered people most of the time. Killing one is generally the karmic equivalent of killing a human the same way -- except that it is easier to show them getting hurt (think of poor Bishop in ''Film/{{Aliens}}''), which gets awkward. MechaMooks and bad robots almost always have a very low value in this regard, even if they demonstrate [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots obvious personalities, emotions]], and [[CreativeSterility humanlike intelligence]]. Regardless, robots are the most frequent victims of the "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt How Did You Know That Mook]] [[NotEvenHuman Wasn't Human]]?" "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt I Didn't!]]" trope. It's JustAMachine, after all. It probably helps that when a robot dies WeCanRebuildHim more easily than [[CameBackWrong bring back a human]] (which is a source of superiority as well: human life is more complicated, probably because robots are ''always'' written as not having [[OurSoulsAreDifferent souls]] even if they are sentient), making them more expendable.

** [[CloningBlues Clones]], [[AllTheMyriadWays parallel universe duplicates]], and other {{Doppelganger}}s are [[ExpendableClone often considered expendable]], even if they absolutely ''are'' biologically human and independent individuals with unique personalities. Restoring an AI from a backup copy is often treated like a DisneyDeath. This is all provided at least one "instance" of each character survives. ("Sorry, but we only need one flannel shirt-wearing comic relief guy.") The thing is, [[http://freefall.purrsia.com/ff400/fv00383.htm it should be more like a twin sibling dying,]] instead it's a more casual ImmortalLifeIsCheap. See also AngstySurvivingTwin.

* Obviously nonliving things like inanimate objects do not figure into this at all... Unless you're in an EverythingTalks situation where the objects are given names, faces, personalities, and so on. And especially if, in the case of the broken-down cars in ''TheBraveLittleToaster'' and Jessie from ''WesternAnimation/ToyStory2'', they sing sad, sad songs about the day their owners threw them away. Mileage on a CompanionCube may vary, though usually if it gets destroyed/damaged, other ''characters'' will react as if you'd just killed something that was alive.
** Special exceptions may apply in the case of great historical and cultural treasures, usually because someone who values them may opt for a HeroicSacrifice rather than allow them to be destroyed.

** There are other exceptions in cases where someone close to the hero of a story gets [[WhatHappenedToMommy turned into a zombie or in-world equivalent]]. The good guys usually can't bring themselves to pull the trigger on what is still outwardly a loved one. This often leads to a ShootTheDog moment. A major factor in this is whether or not the infected person's [[OurSoulsAreDifferent mind or soul]] has been irretrievably destroyed by whatever overtook them, which often leads to a FindTheCure situation. (Too damn bad about [[WhatMeasureIsAMook all the nameless assimilated people]].)

** Expect that last detail to [[VanHelsingHateCrimes make things awkward]] in fiction where there are [[FriendlyNeighborhoodVampires good vampires]], or vampires who aren't evil, [[CarnivoreConfusion just hungry]], operating in the same world.
*** It should also be mentioned that a typical way for a Vampire to die (turning to dust/ash) also means that it's a lot easier to ''show'' a Vampire dying or being killed onscreen. Considering that the original way of killng a vampire was far more complicated and involved (i.e.: you had to turn it to ash [[KillItWithFire the hard way]]), it should probably be the other way around: that Vampires started dying that way ''because'' it was safer to show on TV.
** Special mention must be made of {{Beta Baddie}}s as they are often on the same level as vampires on this scale (and more than a few vampires have been Beta Baddies). These are characters who ''would'' be considered normal people were it not for a [[UncannyValley few very strange differences]]. The troubling part is this: even though they often look like normal people, even if they go on and on about how [[IJustWantToBeNormal they wish they were normal people]] (and they often gain the audience's sympathy in the process), '''none''' of the heroes seem to take any of this into consideration and dispatch them with clean consciences. Eerily, some fiction in which Beta Baddies appear even [[LampshadeHanging acknowledges]] how twisted this is -- and let the good guys blithely kill then off anyway. (Hi, [[KingdomHearts Sora]].)

** There is also the fact that when a character ceases to be human, they no longer matter. And the fact that it is totally wrong to treat humans like cattle but fine for any other species.
*** Such as cattle.

** Justified in that, since they don't have brains or nervous systems, plants are probably NOT sentient and probably don't know or care that they're being killed (in other words, it's like destroying an inanimate, non-living object). See [[http://www.skepdic.com/plants.html here]], the madsci posts[[http://madsci.org/posts/archives/2003-05/1051832770.Bt.r.html here]], [[http://madsci.org/posts/archives/2004-12/1102560471.Bt.r.html here]], [[http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2009-10/1255363711.Bt.r.html here]] and [[http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2009-11/1257738036.Bt.r.html here]], and other sources [[http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=plants-cannot-think-and-remember-bu-2010-07-16 here]] and [[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/science/10plant.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2 here]]. But just for the sake of pointing it out, people who've interpreted certain reactions plants have to external stimuli as signs of plant sentience might be the closest there's ever been to a literal example of the trope EpilepticTrees.

*** Sometimes it's not just [[AllTheMyriadWays parallel universe duplicates]], but entire parallel universe's, where the protagonist will destroy an entire timeline, and everyone and everything that lives in it, just to "set everything right".

* [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Vampires]], while they are technically among the undead, have variable ranges simply because they usually have more personality. Most characters can kill them anyway even if they're [[TechnicalPacifist Technical Pacifists]]. Certain depictions of Comicbook/{{Batman}} and King Graham from ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'' have killed off {{Dracula}} with favorable karmic results (With Graham, the FanRemake takes a different route), even when killing ''anything'' is anathema to them. The idea here, as well as with the other undead mentioned above, may be "Well, technically, they're ''already'' dead, so it's okay! And anyway, Vampires are AlwaysChaoticEvil!"

* On to living things. The value of the life of a non-human [[AnimalMotifs animal]] in fiction, distressingly, tends to relate directly to how much humans like said animal. Thus dogs are protected by InfantImmortality but [[ReptilesAreAbhorrent snakes]], spiders and [[BugWar insects]] are trampled without a second thought. Sadly, this is TruthInTelevision. To paraphrase an old Dennis Leary routine about the Endangered Species Act, "You ''know'' how this is going to end! Eventually, [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters only the cute and cool animals will get to live!"]]

* Robots and Artificial Intelligence stories examine this quite a lot in their plots, possibly because of the writings of Creator/IsaacAsimov. Good robots and other MechanicalLifeforms are considered people most of the time. Killing one is generally the karmic equivalent of killing a human the same way -- except that it is easier to show them getting hurt (think of poor Bishop in ''Film/{{Aliens}}''), which gets awkward. MechaMooks and bad robots almost always have a very low value in this regard, even if they demonstrate [[RidiculouslyHumanRobots obvious personalities, emotions]], and [[CreativeSterility humanlike intelligence]]. Regardless, robots are the most frequent victims of the "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt How Did You Know That Mook]] [[NotEvenHuman Wasn't Human]]?" "[[HowDidYouKnowIDidnt I Didn't!]]" trope. It's JustAMachine, after all. It probably helps that when a robot dies WeCanRebuildHim more easily than [[CameBackWrong bring back a human]] (which is a source of superiority as well: human life is more complicated, probably because robots are ''always'' written as not having [[OurSoulsAreDifferent souls]] even if they are sentient), making them more expendable.