Aristotle once quoted "the ultimate value of life depends on awareness and the power of contemplation rather than mere survival." The topic of life and its value arouses much controversy and many base their beliefs regarding this topic on personal opinions. In the book Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis, three characters land on an extraterrestrial planet, Malacandra, to discover that its population is made up of rational human-like beings who still resemble the familiar animal life on Earth. While on this planet, Devine, Weston, and Ransom all show how much they appreciate life. Devine, a former school acquaintance of Ransom's, thinks of the man's value only in relation to how much he might benefit from him. In a conversation with Weston about using Ransom as a sacrifice, he explains why the situation turned out to be absolutely perfect. Without scruples regarding the lives of others, he believes that man merely serves as an instrument. Since his ultimate goal is to obtain gold from the planet, he views everything with a mind consumed by greed. With this clouding of his vision, he thinks above all about his life...