Do the ends justify the means?

[Lancet Jades]

Do the ends justify the means?

If something's end result is positive, does that justify the road to acheiving the result, even if that included some negative things? Or is the only way to acheive a "positive" result to make sure you don't do any negative things to get there?

Post your thoughts on this.

[Chicken Little]

personally in no situation can the end justify the means since in all situations there is a selfish attitude for doing it, so regardless of if the end was a utopia or if it was just giving a bum $2 there is still reason for the end to be unjustified.

[Lancet Jades]

I dunno, fly. Even if someone does something for a completly selfish reason, isnt it still a good thing if the end result is positive?

[Zelphiel]

yes it does. for example... if you kill 10,000 to save 1,000,000. or most forms of blackmail.... something negative with a postive result.

[Ricdeau]

ah, but is blackmail positive? It depends on who you are. And i dont know really.. Negatives will happen along the way, but i guess in the end its something good that happens. I suppose so, yeah.

[Lancet Jades]

Well, i guess blackmail isnt good, but....oh well.

Well, for another question...if you do something to idly hurt or kill an evil person, does it justify itself? (For example, if you killed someone like Osama bin laden just for the heck of it, would it justify itself, rewards and other good points aside?)

[Lancet Jades]

Just wondering if anybody'll answer that last philosophical question i posted...?

"Well, for another question...if you do something to idly hurt or kill an evil person, does it justify itself? (For example, if you killed someone like Osama bin laden just for the heck of it, would it justify itself, rewards and other good points aside?)"

[Chicken Little]

not realy a philosophical opinion, how many peopel do you know that like osama or peoole like him. Id still say no. NO person has the right to do anythign to another person which causes them any harm or misgivings in anyway. We just think we do or we say we do or inadvertantly doing it because its in our nature to do so. That is an imperfection we carry and it shouldnt be like that, so i still say it wont be.

[nightsavior]

well during ww2 many (but not all) germans thought by annilating jews it would bring about a postive restructuring of their goverment...for this example i do not think in general the ends justify the means. what's the point of having a utopia if millions must die to achieve it?

[Zelphiel]

well during ww2 many (but not all) germans thought by annilating jews it would bring about a postive restructuring of their goverment...


there was a lot more to it than just that...

[nightsavior]

yeah there is...i guess in some cases the ends do indeed justify the means it's just i know of so many maniacs that had a good intention for humanity but their means of accomplishing it were genocidal..there's a fine line between a savior and a devil..

[Lancet Jades]

I agree, after all..
"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

But, then again, so is the road to heaven (whether its metaphorically or literally)

=/

[nightsavior]

it's one of those double edged swords whether we are good or evil..we are capable of both kindness and cruelty..sometimes conflict brings about beneficial change sometimes it destroys..do the ends really justify the means? that's a question that may have a slightly different answer for each individual..the world is not black and white but shades of grey..

[Lancet Jades]

Ong thing i've learned is that the world is ONLY shades of gray. Black and whilte really dont exist.

[Laggy]

do the ends justify the means.....

well, you have to look at a overall thing in this... what are the means, and what will be the end..... its really up to the case at hand