Do the ends justify the means?
Have you heard the recent reports of the National Security Agency (NSA) spying in the USA? This spying was authorized by President Bush. But, the NSA is prohibited by law from spying on Americans. So, it seems the President broke the law. I did hear some attempts from the Bush administration to defend its position as being legal. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out.
Then I caught a little bit of a President Bush's press conference. He said that he authorized this spying after the 911 attack to protect Americans from terrorism.
If I understand him, he's saying that he's allowed to do whatever it takes to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. So, breaking a law or invading a country are all OK in the name of protecting Americans from terrorism.
I get very uneasy with a world view that says the ends justify the means. It allows you to rationalize whatever action you take because of the perceived greater good of the ends.
Then I caught a little bit of a President Bush's press conference. He said that he authorized this spying after the 911 attack to protect Americans from terrorism.
If I understand him, he's saying that he's allowed to do whatever it takes to protect Americans from terrorist attacks. So, breaking a law or invading a country are all OK in the name of protecting Americans from terrorism.
I get very uneasy with a world view that says the ends justify the means. It allows you to rationalize whatever action you take because of the perceived greater good of the ends.
posted by Kevmo at 11:26 PM
1 Comments:
Hmm...
As for the Bush thing, the issue for me (and this would take a bit to unpack) is defining "war." In otherwords, if we are at war, then the Supreme Court has allowed for certain limitations of civil rights in past cases. The question for the President is "are we at war?" What does it mean to be at war with a group that is not a nation-state? How will we know that we have won or lost this "war on terror?" To me, those are the questions that must be answered first.
As for situational ethics, or "ends justifies the means" - I think that is one of the *best* forms of morality, if not THE best. However, only a few are ever moral enough to use it. Most of us are either too stupid or too self absorbed to operate without rules.
I think you'd do fine with situational ethics! You should try them! In the rain! On a train! With a goat! In a boat!!
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