POLL: "The ends justify the means."

[Wingznut]

EDIT... After much whining due to not having a specific subject or a "sometimes" option, I offer the following:

Ask youself this... When talking about a subject, if the other party were to say "The ends justify the means", would that automatically make you more likely to disregard their side of the discussion? Or would it lend a little credibility to it?

-OR-

If you were to think of every possible situation that you could, and applied the above statement to it... Would it be true more often than not?

 

[MillionaireNextDoor]

My math professors says no.

 

[Goosemaster]

Kill one thousand babies for the stem cells to save Christopher Reeves?


I didn't think so..

EDIT: spelled de ole man's name wong.

 

[Chaotic42]

That's completely dependant on the two variables: What are the ends, and what are the means?

Is it worth a single life to save hundreds? What about a single child's life to save a hundred elderly? Would the life of Kip Thorne be worth the life of 200 herion addicts?

 

[crisp82]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
That's completely dependant on the two variables: What are the ends, and what are the means?

Is it worth a single life to save hundreds? What about a single child's life to save a hundred elderly? Would the life of Kip Thorne be worth the life of 200 herion addicts?

Exactly. same as saying the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few. Who are the few, who are the many? What are the needs?

 

[Feldenak]

Yes.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: crisp82

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
That's completely dependant on the two variables: What are the ends, and what are the means?

Is it worth a single life to save hundreds? What about a single child's life to save a hundred elderly? Would the life of Kip Thorne be worth the life of 200 herion addicts?

Exactly. same as saying the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few. Who are the few, who are the many? What are the needs?

In the end the statment is true, as humans are selfish by nature, as are all organisms in their struggle to survive.


"Sad but ture"

In respose to this possible comment, it is not really a sad characteristic. It is one that helps define the complexity and overall developmental process that creatures and their corressponding societies have achieved and gone through.

 

[Linflas]

Sadly I had to vote true. From what I have seen during my lifetime most people preach that the ends do not justify the means but do the exact opposite.

 

[Wingznut]

:sun:

 

[conjur]

Iraq, anyone?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

If one is Neoconservative, then apparently yes.

 

[isaacmacdonald]

another poll with insufficient options. add "the ends sometimes justify the means". Utilitarianism is all about finding the perfect balance.

 

[Garet Jax]

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Yes.

So its OK to cheat to make sure you graduate on time?

 

[DaiShan]

LOL this is not a question to which you can apply to all situations, you must delineate the situation for us to answer in any semblance of rational order.

 

[dighn]

i just voted true b/c i think it is sometimes

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: Garet Jax

Originally posted by: Feldenak
Yes.

So its OK to cheat to make sure you graduate on time?

If you can pull it off then yes.

 

[Rob9874]

Killing all the unemployed to get to a 0% unemployment rate is not right.

 

[Amused]

"The end does not justify the means. No one's rights can be secured by the violation of the rights of others."

 

[dullard]

I too cannot vote. Others described it quite well above. The true answer is: sometimes.

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: dullard
I too cannot vote. Others described it quite well above. The true answer is: sometimes.

Alright, I edited my initial post.

 

[Tom]

I don't think they can be seperated, by definition therefore the answer is no.

 

[Slammy1]

Amytime I've approached a problem from the supposition that the ends justify the means, I was left with the conclusion that the ends do not justify the means.

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: Wingznut
Ask youself this... When talking about a subject, if the other party were to say "The ends justify the means", would that automatically make you more likely to disregard their side of the discussion? Or would it lend a little credibility to it?

Again that depends. If they have good justifications that the ends are very benefiticial and the means are only slightly harmful then yes it leads credibility. But if they throw it in without justification then I'm more likely to disregard their side. Also if they have incorrect justification then I'm more likely to disregard their side.

If you were to think of every possible situation that you could, and applied the above statement to it... Would it be true more often than not?

I'd have to say its a tie. For any situation there are two extremes that could occur and if one extreme has the end justifying the means, then frequently the other extreme has the end not justifying the means.

 

[Gunslinger08]

The journey is more important than the end or the start.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
That's completely dependant on the two variables: What are the ends, and what are the means?

Is it worth a single life to save hundreds? What about a single child's life to save a hundred elderly? Would the life of Kip Thorne be worth the life of 200 herion addicts?

the third, and most important, is our value system