Greater Good: The ends justify the means

The ends don’t always have to justify the means because, stating that implies that you get to basically do whatever benefits you and you will use anyone along the way, but it is a question of morality based on Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperatives theory, the ends cannot justify the means because you can’t use humans as a tool to get what you want. Before you choose to do any action, you must deliberate as to whether you are using someone for just your good, or like a tool or you are paying respect to the person’s autonomy. Take war as an example. The end goal in war is victory in hopes of liberation, new territory, new opportunities, etc. The problem is, the means through which you come to the end victory could be considered irrational. In the present day, the Ukraine-Russia war is the most basic example as to why the ends don’t justify the means. Russia wants to protect itself from NATO, which is indeed a noble cause, but does it justify Russia’s desire to kill citizens of its neighboring country? Simply proving that the goal, be it erroneous or righteous cannot rationalize one’s actions. 

The ends don’t always have to justify the means because, stating that implies that you get to basically do whatever benefits you and you will use anyone along the way, but it is a question of morality based on Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperatives theory, the ends cannot justify the means because you can’t use humans as a tool to get what you want. Before you choose to do any action, you must deliberate as to whether you are using someone for just your good, or like a tool or you are paying respect to the person’s autonomy. Take war as an example. The end goal in war is victory in hopes of liberation, new territory, new opportunities, etc. The problem is, the means through which you come to the end victory could be considered irrational. In the present day, the Ukraine-Russia war is the most basic example as to why the ends don’t justify the means. Russia wants to protect itself from NATO, which is indeed a noble cause, but does it justify Russia’s desire to kill citizens of its neighboring country? Simply proving that the goal, be it erroneous or righteous cannot rationalize one’s actions. 

The ends don’t always have to justify the means because, stating that implies that you get to basically do whatever benefits you and you will use anyone along the way, but it is a question of morality based on Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperatives theory, the ends cannot justify the means because you can’t use humans as a tool to get what you want. Before you choose to do any action, you must deliberate as to whether you are using someone for just your good, or like a tool or you are paying respect to the person’s autonomy. Take war as an example. The end goal in war is victory in hopes of liberation, new territory, new opportunities, etc. The problem is, the means through which you come to the end victory could be considered irrational. In the present day, the Ukraine-Russia war is the most basic example as to why the ends don’t justify the means. Russia wants to protect itself from NATO, which is indeed a noble cause, but does it justify Russia’s desire to kill citizens of its neighboring country? Simply proving that the goal, be it erroneous or righteous cannot rationalize one’s actions. 

The ends don’t always have to justify the means because, stating that implies that you get to basically do whatever benefits you and you will use anyone along the way, but it is a question of morality based on Immanuel Kant’s categorical imperatives theory, the ends cannot justify the means because you can’t use humans as a tool to get what you want. Before you choose to do any action, you must deliberate as to whether you are using someone for just your good, or like a tool or you are paying respect to the person’s autonomy. Take war as an example. The end goal in war is victory in hopes of liberation, new territory, new opportunities, etc. The problem is, the means through which you come to the end victory could be considered irrational. In the present day, the Ukraine-Russia war is the most basic example as to why the ends don’t justify the means. Russia wants to protect itself from NATO, which is indeed a noble cause, but does it justify Russia’s desire to kill citizens of its neighboring country? Simply proving that the goal, be it erroneous or righteous cannot rationalize one’s actions.