For although the act condemns the doer, the end may justify him see more related quotes. Beginning with constantine 2007, we have the passage in question rendered in english thus. However, it was derived from the name of niccolo machiavelli, the author of the prince, which probably was the first organized and influential political document in history. Luckily, with the principle of double effect, were not always responsible for the negative effects of our actions. Accepted interpretation of machiavellis the ends justify. The end justifies the means simple english wikipedia. Stanley bing is the bestselling author of crazy bosses, what would machiavelli do. In discussing whether the end justifies the means i plan to spend as much time on the relationship between ends and means as on the justifications, moral or otherwise.
In the prince, machiavelli is clearly warned against any attempt to turn what is, because machiavellis philosophy comes from the nature of men. The end justifies the means is an old phrasing which dates way back in the 16th century and was formed from niccolo machiavellis famous saying men judge generally more by the eye than by the hand, because it belongs to everybody to see you, to few to come in touch with you. Jared diamond, not machiavelli, stated within the article that you have linked that machiavelli is a crystalclear realist. Dec 20, 2016 niccolo machiavelli said, the ends justify the means. What did machiavelli mean by the statement the end. The basic interpretation of the end justifies the means is.
Scholars often note that machiavelli glorifies instrumentality in state building, an approach embodied by the saying, often attributed to interpretations of the prince, the ends justify the means. A machiavellian perspective a characteristic behavior in todays society is the belief that the ends justifies the means. Machiavelli wasnt interested in justifying power, merely describing its operation. Your very radical example of bringing about world peace in the stead of killing many people at first seems to justify this stance quite well. Machiavelli said, the ends justify the means fact or myth. Definition of the end justifies the means in the idioms dictionary. That machiavellis stated purpose is to say something that will prove of practical use machiavelli 65 is of particular significance.
Wrong is wrong saying that the ends justify the means is an invalid statement, those agreeing with this statement obviously believe that killing, stealing, and cheating does not matter as long as it has a good outcome and the goal is obtained. Tony soprano and shakespeares macbeth may be wellknown. Niccolo machiavelli was 15th century italian philosopher he had some unconventional beliefs. The issue will be explored in the light of niccolo machiavellis the qualities of the prince and martin luther king jr. Consequentialism is the class of normative ethical theories holding that the consequences of ones conduct are the ultimate basis for any judgment about the rightness or wrongness of that conduct. I think in this modern age the machiavellian philosophy of the ends justify the means needs to be expanded upon. What is the origin of the quote the end justifies the means. Oct 15, 2017 sometimes even the best decisions cause some bad results. What is funny about many of the people that read the prince, in. The end justifies the means is a phrase of sergey nechayev, the 19th century russian revolutionary. The phrase is better translated as one must think of the final result, and was written in regards to the lack of a true judge of whether a princes.
Probably the closest machiavelli gets to expressing this view is in chapter xviii of the prince. Niccolo machiavelli never said, the ends justify the means, although he did allude to a complex version of the concept in his prince and other works. Hence, the prince must take into account the actual realities. With machiavellis principles, we are now faced with the issue whether the desired ends is justified by the means used to achieve them. According to machiavelli, this theory suggests that almost any action or behavior is perfectly acceptable as long. People love to put these words into nicks mouth, but the closest he came was probably the quote above. You bring up the point that to verify if the ends do in fact justify the use of dubious means is an impossible feat. Widely attributed to machiavelli s the prince, which does reflect this philosophy but does not use the phrase in this wording. The municipal machiavelli is a mostly satirical look at machiavellis master work, the prince with commentary and observations, applying his ideas to municipal politics. Accepted interpretation of machiavellis the ends justify the means. For the third time, then ends justify the means comes into play with what machiavelli is trying to put across.
When machiavelli wrote the treatise in 1532, he claimed that one of situations in which it was necessary to use unethical means was in military manners. The municipal machiavelli is a mostly satirical look at machiavelli s master work, the prince with commentary and observations, applying his ideas to municipal politics. The meaning of this statement is yes, it is plausible and correct for an individual to do any means, even if it means murdering or lying to get an outcome to obtain a desirable outcome. This fiery man, who translated the entire bible into latin, called the vulgate, said this in the 48th letter to a guy named pammachius ab. However, people dont necessarily have to read machiavelli to feel according to them that the ends justify the means. Widely attributed to machiavellis the prince, which does reflect this philosophy but does not use the phrase in this. Concerning those who have obtained a principality by wickedness, as well as from the discourses, that the concept of the end justifies the means was derived. The phrase the ends justify the means refers to the morality of an action,which basically means a good outcome excuses any wrongs. Entangled in florentine politics during a tumultuous time at the height of the renaissance, niccolo machiavelli became alternately a diplomat.
It is not meant as a scholarly or definitive approach to machiavelli s philosophy, politics or art. At the beginning of an action i might not be able to determine whether that action is morally right or wrong, but when the morally right goal is successfully achieved. Niccolo machiavelli advocates many cutthroat policies in the prince in his effort to model the perfect leader, one who would place the utmost importance on preserving his power and his state rather than dealing with moral dilemmas. The end justifies the means definition of the end justifies. The ends justify the means is machiavelli right that. The end justifies the means idioms by the free dictionary. Jun 26, 2018 however, people dont necessarily have to read machiavelli to feel according to them that the ends justify the means.
On machiavelli and the ends justify the means to liberal fascism. The end justifies the means is a phrase which means that, if you have a goal, it does not matter how you reach it, as long as you reach it. Machiavellis ends to flatter the medicis defined how he wrote his book and his word choice. For example, some students i have taught justified lying on their resume because it. Furthermore, machiavelli believed that any possibly cruel actions by governments should be swift, effective, and shortlived to decrease the harmful impact on their citizens and to minimize the probability of rebellion.
Most people attribute this quote to niccolo machiavelli. This means actions people take are justified regardless of how they go about achieving their desired end result. Consequentialism is primarily nonprescriptive, meaning the moral worth of an action is determined by its potential consequence, not by whether it follows a set of written edicts or laws. On machiavelli and the ends justify the means to liberal. It is not meant as a scholarly or definitive approach to machiavellis philosophy, politics or art. Introduction cause and effect, means and ends, seed and fruit cannot be severed.
Hes saying that it is okay to use cruelty considered bad means in order to keep his subjects united and loyal a good end. Did sarah palin really say that she could see russia from her house. The idea is ancient, but it was not meant to justify unnecessary cruelty. A good result is worth a bad way of achieving those results. According to machiavelli, do moral ends justify immoral. It is incorrectly assigned to machiavelli, when it should be to ovid. Machiavelli says that the end justify the means when, for example, he says that people are of no importance and untrustworthy, and if you must lie to citizens and other people in order. The end justifies the means was a statement that was suggested by niccolo machiavelli in his book titled the prince. In fact, they dont even have to be in politics to use this kind of strategy. Sure, the sentiment is similar, but the idea certainly wasnt machiavelli s. Thus, from a consequentialist standpoint, a morally right act or omission from acting is one that will produce a good outcome, or consequence.
Therefore, he told the medicis exactly what the wanted to hear, the ends justify the means. One ascends to the principality by some wicked or nefarious ways it was from machiavelli s chapter viii. This was machiavellis identifying line to many people, and in my conversations with them, i got the impression that machiavelli meant the following. Although mostly attributed to machiavelli, the phrase the end justifies the means is not one of his creation. Scholars like leo strauss and harvey mansfield have established that the prince can be interpreted as having a purposeful comical irony and often stated that machiavelli venerates instrumentality in statebuilding a method personified by the maxim that the ends justify the means. Concerning those who have obtained a principality by wickedness, as well as from the discourses, that the concept of the. In this essay i shall argue that it is not true that the end justifies the means but rather that it is the means which condition the end. If being feared the bad means allows him or her to rule his or her country better and with more power good ends, then let it be. Is that the real machiavelli or to what extent is that the real machiavellian was marquis of eliot machiavelli in for example one phrases come to be. By day he is an haute executive in a gigantic multinational corporation whose identity is one of the worst. In his book called the prince, he introduced the idea that the ends justify the means. The ends justify the means is machiavelli right that this. Machiavelli said a lot of things hello, it is better to be feared than loved, but he never said the end justifies the means.
Everyone sees what you seem to be, but few feel what you are. Lets make sure that is straight before i go any further. Machiavelli had achieved some success under the florentine republic. Concerning the way in which princes should keep faith. Mar 02, 2015 the ends justify the means march 2, 2015 melissa 4 comments entangled in florentine politics during a tumultuous time at the height of the renaissance, niccolo machiavelli became alternately a diplomat, a victim, a prisoner, an exile and, ultimately, the father of modern political theory. People will sometimes say this phrase in a question, do the ends justify the means. What does the end justifies the means mean answers. Machiavelli gives a complex answer to this fundamental politic problem. Morally wrong actions are sometimes necessary to achieve morally. Where did machiavelli say that the ends justify the means. The end justifies the means is a statement written in the prince by machiavelli which is highly controversial. Luckily, with the principle of double effect, were not always responsible for the negative effects of. What happened, you look nice today, and immortal life. It means that if a goal is morally important enough, any method of getting it is acceptable.
He believed that the first priority of a leader is to protect his power at any cost. It was later picked up and used to justify murderous acts by lenin and stalin. Full transcription and quotation can be found here heroides, ii, 85. May 08, 2018 jared diamond, not machiavelli, stated within the article that you have linked that machiavelli is a crystalclear realist. Sure, the sentiment is similar, but the idea certainly wasnt machiavellis. And how to get them, the big bing, and the curriculum, as well as the novels lloyd. Acoording to machiavelli, yes, the ends do justify the means, only they arent exactly moral ends. Oct 06, 20 machiavelli defends these conclusions using both explicit and implicit language. What is most scandalous about the princeno less so now than when it was writtenis machiavellis apparent endorsement of the principle that the ends justify the means, however cruel.
The ends didnt need to justify the means, because the means were self justifying. Tony soprano and shakespeares macbeth may be wellknown machiavellian. That being the case, machiavelli was merely describing the realities of power in his age. Machiavelli gives a complex answer to this fundamental politic. Machiavelli is most famous for his idea that the end justifies the means. Given that the medicis had just used mercenaries to conquer a republic, of course they would want to feel justified in their rule. The term is utilitarianism so i guell machiavelli promoted the idea of utilitarianism. Of maintaining a princedom from the prince machiavelli a prince must defend his state with either. That machiavellis stated purpose is to say something that will prove of practical use machiavelli 65 is of particular significance because it both delicately and violently attacks the. Sometimes even the best decisions cause some bad results. Niccolo machiavelliwrote that the ends justify the means.
Oct 14, 2019 what is most scandalous about the princeno less so now than when it was writtenis machiavellis apparent endorsement of the principle that the ends justify the means, however cruel. What did machiavelli mean by the statement the end justifies. The end justifies the means definition is used to say that a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it. The end justifies the means machiavellis the prince. Typically, this quote is misinterpreted as any action, no matter how unethical or immoral, can be justified for the purpose of any reasonable or needed outcome. Qualities of a prince, leads one to question if the ends justify the means because of machiavellis assertion of using immoral means in order to achieve a morally right end result. According to machiavelli, the ends always justify the meansno matter how cruel, calculating or immoral those means might be. In his book he discusses the morality of political rules. Machiavelli states, therefore, a prince must not worry about the reproach of cruelty when it is a matter of keeping his subjects united and loyal. Fraud and deceit are held by machiavelli as necessary for a prince to use. The line, often adopted by strong men in controversy, of justifying the means by the end. One example would entail lying under the threat of government punishment to save an innocent persons life, even though it is illegal to lie under oath. The end justifies the means simple english wikipedia, the. In the prince, machiavelli is clearly warned against any attempt to turn what is, because machiavelli s philosophy comes from the nature of men.
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