Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 4:56am.
If the outcome is good, it doesn't matter how you got it.
In other words, someone who believes this also believes that even if someone does immoral or even illegal things to achieve a good purpose, it's OK.
It is an excuse for lying, cheating, or stealing, rape, or even murder in the name of doing a "greater" good. The term originated in the massacre of the Jesuits by Protestants (you can read about that), but there were other uses before that:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/44/messages/923.html
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/end_justifies_the_means/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consequentialism
http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_html/Outline_of_Great_Books_Volume_I/machiavell_bfa.html
Are you reading Niccoló Machiavelli's The Prince by any chance?!
Related Questions
ethics - Does the principle "the end justifies the means" hold true ...
Social Studies - Hi, I am doing a project and I don't know what this means: ...
Another Question - What does ie means ???? Plus what does etc means when ...
social studies - 1. define Allah 2. the word Muslim means...? 3.JIHAD means to ...
litreature-vocab - write sentence using each of the following 1) Affliction: ...
Social Studies - How would you debate - 'That social injustice justifies ...
math - I have the upse question and want to know what the upse stands for. I ...
SOCIAL STUDIES - WHAT DOES REGION PHYSICAL MEANS?
SOCIAL STUDIES - WHAT DOES REGION PHYSICAL MEANS?
social studies - word that means the division of land
For Further Reading
