What are arguments that support or refute the Machiavelian idea The end is more important than the means?

Answer 1

Why the "Means to the end" is more important than the end?

That is, how you try and realize a goal or desire will have a big impact on the scope of the outcome. Ok, lets use something simple and more understandable to try and explain what we mean first? Lets say hypothetically that four people all have the same emotional trauma, that prevents them from letting someone (anyone) be intimate with them. After sometime each decides they want to move on from this restriction. They each take a different route to do this;

The first sees their doctor and gets a prescription which relaxes them, releases them from some inhibitions and makes them less anxious.

The second goes to a homeopath who they see for six months and feel very much better, they are much more open and more comfortable getting closer to someone.

The third goes to an healer who is intent on 'making people feel better'. Here, their symptoms disappear for a while but after a few days or weeks they return, requiring that they continue the treatment to remain stabilized.

The fourth goes for some deep transformational work. They have periods during this work where they feel much more uncomfortable as they are facilitated to explore and reflect during their sessions but after a few months they feel completely cleared of this issue.

Now, we would say that all of these are successful solutions. But lets look at these more closely;

The first has to continue taking medication as without they are prone to panic attacks when in their new relationship. You could say that this is a surface solution, which is controlling the symptoms but has in no way resolved the original trauma.

The second has been released from the disabling patterns held within their current incarnate form, so they continue without problems in this existence. However, from a multidimensional perspective the trauma may originate in another existence and come back when they re-incarnate the next time. If the trauma originated from this lifetime then there would be a good chance that it would be completely cleared with this approach.

The third is fairly typical of much of the energy work happening today where the intent is to help people feel better but again does not facilitate exploring or resolving the original cause. Many energy workers and healers are unknowingly (accepting at face value what is said about their form of energy work) facilitating people by either pushing traumas deeper into the energy body or of actually sealing the traumas away in an attempt to prevent them from arising. Again, this is a solution, but it is a solution which makes it much more difficult for the soul to resolve that original trauma in the future - the trauma is now less obvious and more hidden. It is also stressing the energy bodies of the person as energy is required to keep it hidden and sealed which can lead to more problems in future incarnations.

The fourth, facilitates the person to resolve and fully release the original either consciously or indirectly. This frees their soul from all further manifestations of this trauma. It is effectively resolved completely. This approach generally takes the client into uncomfortable areas and is therefore not as 'nice' or 'gentle' as many people would either like, want or actually understand.

Resolving some of our own traumas has taken a long time, simply because we have needed to understand the above with regards everything that we do. For example a favourite solution I used in other existences was to hide or bury traumas and suppress feelings to such an extent that it was no longer feasible to continue doing the same - the energy debt was simply too much. The weight of this baggage itself was becoming a trauma.

Limited, quick fix, surface, 'means to an end' solutions are also a reflection of many cultures on earth today. The saying - "why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" sums it up perfectly. Hence many of the established and readily chosen solutions as described above are the most limiting and short term while those offering a complete or lasting resolution require a degree of discomfort, effort, self reflection and time to bring to completion.

This pattern is in everything that we do. Many people are very tired, depressed, drained and spent simply because they wish to continue with the comfortable but limited solutions, not understanding that it is often these that are responsible for how they feel in the first place.

Although we have focused on an emotional challenge causing life restrictions here. We could very easily do the same thing with regards spiritual approaches where outcome is more important than either the means or intention held to that drives the means. Read the other articles for more on these.

=- Bikram raj

Answer 2

Supporters argue that achieving a desired end justifies the means, as long as the outcome is beneficial. However, critics argue that unethical means can tarnish the legitimacy of the end goal and harm individuals or society in the long run. The perspective on whether the end justifies the means often depends on one's ethical beliefs and the context in which the actions are taken.