Poll: Does the end justify the means?
- Thread starter obi2012
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There is a cutoff when the end actually does justifies the means. It happens when both the need is great enough and the length of execution must be short enough(a longer, more ethical plan of action will be ineffective by the time it is finished).
This is an age-old question that has been answered millions of times. Sometimes to do good requires sacrifice. If that sacrifice is given willingly, that's even better but some things are in fact "worth it." Now, it's also true that some irresponsible miscreants will use this expression to try and justify their unjustifiable acts. You just have to know when it's truth and when it's bullshit. But that's true for quite a lot of things.
It's entirely dependent on what it is you're doing. If killing one innocent man would save 100, it's reasonable to say that's justified. But if killing one innocent man would only save 2, well that's a lot more debatable now isn't it?
The kind of situations in which "The ends justify the means." apply, should only ever be taken on a case-by-case basis. And not just the means either. The ends are also something to think about. What if "the ends" are only good from a certain point of view? I bet there's PETA members out there who would like to systematically steal every pet from its human household and set it loose on the streets. But not only do I disagree with those means, I also disagree with those ends because that means stray dogs and cats everywhere, running out in front of my car and knocking over garbage cans and biting at my legs.
I mean no offense to those of you who voted "Yes" or "No". But you were all probably thinking of some kind of isolated incident, or maybe thinking of the general context in which "The ends justify the means." is usually used. There's a good example of this in Modern Warfare 2, on the mission "No Russian", in which you play as an American marine sent to HELP a small group of people commit a serious act of terrorism. You are asked to assist in massacring hundreds of people at an airport, to get in good with the leader so you can sabotage and capture him later. And this mission is morally debatable. I imagine most of us would probably be against something like that. I don't agree with it at all. But there IS a legitimate argument to be made in favor of it. And it does beg the question, "Do the ends justify the means?" I get the feeling a situation such as this one is generally the kind that people have in mind when they hear that phrase.
The kind of situations in which "The ends justify the means." apply, should only ever be taken on a case-by-case basis. And not just the means either. The ends are also something to think about. What if "the ends" are only good from a certain point of view? I bet there's PETA members out there who would like to systematically steal every pet from its human household and set it loose on the streets. But not only do I disagree with those means, I also disagree with those ends because that means stray dogs and cats everywhere, running out in front of my car and knocking over garbage cans and biting at my legs.
I mean no offense to those of you who voted "Yes" or "No". But you were all probably thinking of some kind of isolated incident, or maybe thinking of the general context in which "The ends justify the means." is usually used. There's a good example of this in Modern Warfare 2, on the mission "No Russian", in which you play as an American marine sent to HELP a small group of people commit a serious act of terrorism. You are asked to assist in massacring hundreds of people at an airport, to get in good with the leader so you can sabotage and capture him later. And this mission is morally debatable. I imagine most of us would probably be against something like that. I don't agree with it at all. But there IS a legitimate argument to be made in favor of it. And it does beg the question, "Do the ends justify the means?" I get the feeling a situation such as this one is generally the kind that people have in mind when they hear that phrase.
Depends, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Is it cool to go on a killing spree for a cheese burger? Generally not. Or like in Gone in 60 Seconds, the guy has to become a theif inorder to save his brother's life.