David Graham's Teleological Approach

Niccolò Machiavelli, a Florentine politician during the Renaissance, contributed tremendously to the famous debate, “do the ends justify the means?” Machiavelli used his magnum opus, The Prince; to defend actions, by the political elite, most of society thought was immoral in nature. The phrase “Machiavellian” is widely used today to describe an individual who will use deceit and manipulation to achieve his or her desired ends. This historical example resonates with me when analyzing one’s ethical actions. A teleological approach to ethics closely resembles Machiavelli’s analysis. Although there is one fundamental difference: Machiavelli was describing the political elite’s sinister actions for personal gain, the teleological approach proposes greater good by sometimes immoral actions. David Graham found himself in a situation where the greater good was at stake. As the new Wessex County Manager, it is his professional responsibility to ensure his administration is ethically bound as well as fulfilling the needs of his jurisdiction. For this paper, I will construct my argument from a teleological perspective to analyze what options David Graham has available. To defend my argument, I will use the critical elements of this case study to normatively …show more content…
In my analysis, President Lincoln acted with moral vision and certainly had a teleological approach to ending slavery in the United States. Although jailing citizens with no charges and no trial was an egregious and asinine course of action especially considering the Constitution and how fragile the nation was at that time, Lincoln saw an opportunity to exercise his Commander in Chief powers to help preserve the union. I believe strong leaders should have the capacity for moral vision and the courage to act unilaterally in the face of opposition for the greater