Topics Ethics

Question I've read that <i>The Prince</i> by Machiavelli is all about how the ends justify the means. However, it seems to me that the means are also justified in themselves. I think that many of Machiavelli's tactics are just common sense that should be practiced in any case, though obviously in today's world you'd take care of political enemies by propaganda (for example) rather than killing them. Is there a philosophical case for this idea that the means are justified?

Accepted:
November 19, 2005

Comments

It is not clear what it means to say that anything, especially means, are justified in themselves. It may be that the means do not need to be justified as they do not involve doing anything wrong. It is only actions that would be wrong if not justified that need to be justified. Many of the means that Machiavelli recommends do not involve doing anything wrong, so they do not need to be justified. But killing or slandering someone are the kinds of action that do need justification, and it is not a justification for doing such actions that they benefit oneself.