In our society .. . . Do the Ends justify The Means? I have often told friends: The only difference between a 'Darwin Award Winner' and a "Inspirational Story" is the result. I often think of the movie 127 hours Dude was squeezing in to cracks alone in the desert He dies - people think of him as a Darwin Award winner for being so foolish He lives against those odds - he is an inspiration and testament to the human spirit While people may frown up on various body modifications . . . if the end results are good. Who cares? Does not matter how you manage to LOOK GOOD . . .just look good. Same thing with being rich . . . if someone does something unethical to enrich themselves. . . people may whine a little but overall . . .. we see them as a success worthy of praise for their ingenuity. Do we judge an act/action . . . . based on the results? Are we an 'End Justifies the Means' nation? Rocket River
Well, the ends (being alive and celebrated as a hero rather than dead) totally seem to justify the means (cutting his arm off). But I agree, not exactly the choice I would have made for an example. The guy simply had no other choice to live...he did what he had to do.
Depends on the ends, depends on the means. Most practical people continually weigh those two things against each other.
Ends do not justify the means, but the means amount to nothing if you don't get the end result you want. I personally like seeing winners that don't cheat. I prefer Lemond to Armstrong. I prefer Magic to CP3. I prefer Carl Lewis to Ben Johnson. I prefer Buffet to Icahn.
No Doubt . . .. in the big picture he is rich . . . many people still definding him So . . . he got rich by stepping on people. . .well that doesn't matter As for the 127 My point in that is. . . . Maybe we are a little too RESULTS-ORIENTED Meaning .. . different results means the guy is seen as a fool. Rocket River
here's a better quandary for justifying the means. Would you break Wingman etiquette and ****-block your friend to steal the girl away that he's hitting on at a bar...if she is super hot.
Nah you play fullback and take out the ugly friend. Ultimately the various holes feel the same. Give or take.
RR, you should take like a college philosophy class or something. There's a lot of reading/writing/debate on this subject out there.
The end ZONE justifies the NaTRONE Means. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s8RfdTJwS-g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> This was the only year (1994 NFL regular season) I ever played fantasy football and he was my featured RB. So every time I hear the question in the OP, this is my answer.