[pas]

Human life is valuable, but it's valuable because it has things like dreams, empathy, etc.

That's why we usually don't keep braindead people alive just because we could.

[the_af]

I don't disagree. It is valuable because of all those things, and more. It is not valuable at all costs. But human life is the sine qua non (for now, without going into scifi territory).

I would argue that someone in permanent vegetative state is not much of a "human", mind you.