The Ends Justify the Means - 1113 Words

The violence shown in the film Mississippi Burning displays one of the most inhumane images. It shows the unconditional hatred by the Caucasian Americans toward the African American people living in Jessup County. Throughout the film, it is suggested by Agent Anderson (a fictional FBI agent) that those involved in the investigation of three missing children needed to use more guttural tactics. This is often referred to as a â€Å"do whatever it takes† philosophy. In the film however, Agent Ward is particularly against using such tactics and avidly tries to avoid using them. Agent Anderson finally wins the argument between them and the more aggressive technique eventually prevails. The question that looms however is whether or not it is†¦show more content†¦The minority in this way, will always be persecuted, they will always be slaves to the opinion of the majority. Despite all of this, I do not believe Thoreau would embody a â€Å"do whatever it takes† philosophy. He does advocate civil disobedience, via refusal to follow certain laws or protesting, but in no way does he believe that one should rise up against the government with force to overcome injustice. Martin Luther King Jr. was greatly influenced by Henry David Thoreau and it is shown through their theories and ideas such as imprisonment. Both King and Thoreau spent nights in jail in order to protests a particular idea or belief, for Thoreau it was slavery, for King it was segregation. Mississippi Burning, the film that so brutally depicts the actions of the Ku Klux Klan in the South, actually takes place in the Neshoba County of Mississippi. While the film makes loose ties to the actual event, many of the specific details were altered in order to better make the film. The statements that I will include are those that coincide with reality. Three civil-rights activists: James Cheney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman; were charged with a false speeding violation an d were taken to prison for a total of eight hours. The police department working in accordance with the Klan released the three advocates andShow MoreRelatedDoes The Ends Justify The Means?1597 Words   |  7 PagesDoes the Ends Justify the Means? To answer questions such as ‘Does the Ends Justify the Means?’ is complex. Should we unconditionally accept this doctrine? I believe this cannot be answered unequivocally yes or no because it will depend on the situation and the role in which this concept is being considered. This essay will explain the doctrine of the ends justifies the means while showing examples of both positive and negative application outcomes. This should allow readers to gain a better understandingRead MoreDoes The End Justify The Means?951 Words   |  4 Pageshave heard of the question, â€Å"does the end justify the means?†, but what does it mean? This question can be answered on both sides as yes it does justify and no it does not justify the means. It all depends on the situation in hand. Were the steps to achieve the end good or bad? If the steps to the end were good then it justifies but if it was bad then it does not justify. So the answer to the question would be depending on the means to get there and the end results. There had been many incidentsRead MoreDoes the End Justify the Means1267 Words   |  6 Pages The end justifies the means The end justifies the means is an expression that is often used in society to validate or excuse distasteful and objectionable actions undertaken by its people. In effect, the phrase is a justification for dispensing with all morality and principle in the passage towards a successful conclusion. The Greek writer Sophocles wrote in Electra 409 BC â€Å"the end excuses any evil. This was a thought later considered, by the Roman poet Ovid, ‘the result justifies the deedRead MoreDoes the End Justify the Means?739 Words   |  3 Pagesresponse to the question, Does the end justify the means? Give examples of when the ends justifies the means and when it doesnt. Post your response as a reply to this topic. Read others responses and feel free to comment on others threads and have an open discussion. The ends justifying the means is extremely difficult to generalize. The answer is much more complex than a simple yes or no. Quite often, if not most of the time, the end does not justify the means. But sometimes it can happen. ARead MoreDo the Ends Justify the Means?1115 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Sasson Final Paper ENG 2800 12-09-09 Do the Ends Justify the Means? Literature is often a vehicle for social commentary. Two works of literature that express criticism of practices in the society in which they were written are Niccolo Machiavelli’s Mandragola and the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. In his satirical comedy, Machiavelli indirectly criticizes the hypocritical practices of the Catholic Church; however, JesusRead MoreDo the Ends Ever Justify the Means?1295 Words   |  6 PagesDo the Ends Ever Justify the Means? When I first heard about the book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I thought it was just a reading assignment when I was in high school that I had to complete for a grade. As I began reading I became particularly interested in Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot talks about Henrietta Lacks and how her cells were taken without her permission, and how her family suffered afterwards. Skloot shows howRead MoreWhen the Ends Justify the Means in Machiavelli ´s The Prince Essay788 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the Ends Justify the Means It is commonly believed by both lay people and political philosophers alike that an authoritative figure is good and just so long as he or she acts in accordance with various virtues. If the actions of a ruler are tailored toward the common good of the people rather than himself, then that ruler is worthy of occupying the status of authority. By acting in accordance with social and ethical norms, the ruler is deemed worthy of respect and authority. Niccolà ² MachiavelliRead More Social Influence Research - Do the Ends Justify the Means? Essay865 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Influence Research - Do the Ends Justify the Means? To what extent does the importance of social influence research, justify the methods used in its investigation? The debate about ethics in psychology focuses on two areas: protection of participants and benefiting society. This is a double obligation dilemma as if some psychologists are not allowed to do certain experiments because of ethical restraints; this can cause problems with validity. In social psychologyRead MoreMorality And The Moral Theories1137 Words   |  5 PagesMeaning of the phrases ï ¿ ½the ends justifies the means’ The phrase ï ¿ ½the ends justifies the means’ is a very popular in many fields and is also used in our day to day living. However, it is more used when talking about morality issues whereby it means that the morality of an action or behavior depends entirely on the result of that action and not the behavior or action itself. This is phrase that can be viewed different by proponent of different moral theories. A consequentialist theorist will agreeRead MoreAssessment of a Statement Essay1102 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"the end justifies the means† is not morally defensible. It will explore the implications of the statement itself, the rudiments of the social contract, the principles of Machiavelli and solid empirical evidence. The belief that the end entirely justifies the means is merely an extreme version of the commonly held belief that moral considerations cannot apply to the means except in relation to ends, or that the latter have a moral priority. Gandhi wrote, â€Å"The means may