May you understand that the ends do not justify the means because there are no ends there are only means?

Answer 1

No. This is like saying that there are no objectives to achieve, only achieving. "Ends" are objectives. "I am trying to get the cap off this jar" is an expression of an objective. The means to the end are the method you use to get to the objective: running the jar under hot water, banging it with a knife handle, wearing rubber gloves for better traction, using a saw to remove the cap are all possible means to achieve that end.

Therefore it is impossible that "there are no ends; there are only means." There cannot be means without an end. There can be no method of attaining an objective unless there is an objective. It's like saying there is a cause without an effect; if it has no effect, it cannot be a cause.

The key word in "the ends do not justify the means" is the word "justify". This saying is all about moral justification, not the connection between means and end. If you are trying to raise money to give to former Ugandan child soldiers, you could have a door-to-door campaign, start a viral internet video, or work a second job. You could also raise money by robbing a bank, insuring your father's life, then killing him, or selling your sister into slavery. All of these are means to the end of raising money for Ugandan child soldiers. Some of these methods are morally wrong, however, and they don't become morally right because they were means to a noble and charitable end. So, the conversation might go as follows:

"You sold your sister into slavery??"

"It was for a good cause."

"I don't care how good the cause was, it was wrong. The ends don't justify the means."