Does the end justify the means?

[2952-0-0]

Discuss. I vote no.

[Gabu]

This question is way too vague to even begin to answer it.

If selling someone something you own in order to get some money, then yes, it obviously does, because you've done nothing wrong.

If you murder five hundred people in order to prevent a rumor about you from spreading, then the justification is obviously significantly weaker.

[Ebowed]

In some very extreme cases, yes, but usually no.

[John Dibble]

I'll take it as "Do the ends always justify the means?" - in that case, no. Sometimes it does, as the means are nothing bad. It all depends on the means.

[A18]

Either the end justifies the means, or nothing does.

The answer to the question depends on the end and the means.

[??????????]

Why is this guy even allowed to start topics? To be fair though he is smarter then James42.

[Alcon]

Why is this guy even allowed to start topics? To be fair though he is smarter then James42.

This may be too general, but it's an interesting topic.  Lay off man.

[Platypus]

if you're saying always, then no. But as the question is stated, somewhere between usually and occasionally.

[nclib]

Generally, no.

[opebo]

'Justification' is purely subjective as there is no such thing as objective morality.

[??????????]

'Justification' is purely subjective as there is no such thing as objective morality.

So if someone went out and butchered their neighbor and his family because the murderer was bothered by their dog, would you be ok with that?

[opebo]

'Justification' is purely subjective as there is no such thing as objective morality.

So if someone went out and butchered their neighbor and his family because the murderer was bothered by their dog, would you be ok with that?

No.  In other words I would subjectively dislike that, assuming I knew the deceased.  But that is a different thing from saying something is objectively 'wrong'.

[minionofmidas]

Of course not.

[MODU]

Rarely.

[Giant Saguaro]

It depends, but very rarely.

[Schmitz in 1972]

Certainly not!  Someone can always come up with a convoluted situation where perhaps they would, but for easily over 98% of the time the answer is no.

[John Dibble]

Certainly not!  Someone can always come up with a convoluted situation where perhaps they would, but for easily over 98% of the time the answer is no.

The ends: I feed my family
The means: I work an honest job

CONVOLUTED!

[A18]

A lot more than 2% of situations are like that.

The end: I get a house
The means: I buy one

[Schmitz in 1972]

I forgot that posters here are so nit-picky. I should have been plainer. The ends do not justify the means over 98% of the time if the means violate basic moral principle.  Neither working an honest job nor buying a house do so.

[John Dibble]

I forgot that posters here are so nit-picky. I should have been plainer. The ends do not justify the means over 98% of the time if the means violate basic moral principle.  Neither working an honest job nor buying a house do so.

[nitpicking]But the question is "Does the end justify the means?", not "Does the ends justify the means if the means violate basic moral principles?"[/nitpicking]

[Speed of Sound]

the ends tend not to justify the means