Machiavelli: Does the ends justify the means? Niccolo Machiavelli was 15th century Italian philosopher he had some unconventional beliefs. In his book called The Prince, he introduced the idea that “the ends justify the means”. According to Machiavelli, this theory suggests that almost any action or behavior is perfectly acceptable as long as it results in the desired outcome. For instance, this unconventional belief would support almost any kind of behavior that is designed to create a specific positive outcome for the person involved. This philosophy is somewhat self-centered because it basically endorses selfish choices.
Originally, Machiavelli’s writings applied this philosophy to the basics of life in a political setting. He stated quite clearly that it was basically okay to do anything or say anything to get votes as long as the person won the election. In other words, he supported the idea of winning in politics at any and all costs. While he mostly was writing about politicians this strange philosophy has since been extended over the years to be applied to everyday life. People have taken this philosophy and tried to make it fit within the context of any situation.
It is an important topic because it presents the argument that the results are more important than the methods of how you get there. People have argued for …show more content…
Millions of people on the earth seem to wish to bask in the warm light of their own free will. They believe that they can do anything that they think is necessary to achieve a desired outcome. They often give little thought to the impact that their actions will have on other people. n other words, they are totally self-absorbed. They only worry about themselves and don’t have any interest in caring for other people. While God seems to be willing to allow this kind of thinking, He definitely does not seem to agree with
Originally, Machiavelli’s writings applied this philosophy to the basics of life in a political setting. He stated quite clearly that it was basically okay to do anything or say anything to get votes as long as the person won the election. In other words, he supported the idea of winning in politics at any and all costs. While he mostly was writing about politicians this strange philosophy has since been extended over the years to be applied to everyday life. People have taken this philosophy and tried to make it fit within the context of any situation.
It is an important topic because it presents the argument that the results are more important than the methods of how you get there. People have argued for …show more content…
Millions of people on the earth seem to wish to bask in the warm light of their own free will. They believe that they can do anything that they think is necessary to achieve a desired outcome. They often give little thought to the impact that their actions will have on other people. n other words, they are totally self-absorbed. They only worry about themselves and don’t have any interest in caring for other people. While God seems to be willing to allow this kind of thinking, He definitely does not seem to agree with