One of the most controversial debates in history concerns itself of “the means versus the end.” Before beginning the discussion, let me define what I mean by “means” and “ends.” Means are the methods which one chooses to take to achieve a certain objective. They may include any resources used, a specific way of thinking or acting, and any other forms of help one seeks. Ends are the ultimate purpose that one wishes to reach. In my life as a student, they usually take the form of getting good grades or winning a competition, but they can be any other goal that one desires.
So which one is more important? Is achieving the end goal more important than taking the right path towards success? Assuming the extreme positions to make things simpler, is it right to choose questionable methods if it promises success or should one consider the nature of the means before the ends? It seems as though choosing the ethical and moral means regardless of the results is the correct way, but would it still be so if that makes one lose in every single competition? There are many debates surrounding this question everywhere and no definite answer to it. Let me invite you to this discussion and share my thoughts on this dilemma.
In my mind, apart from the actual society, I believe that the means should be prioritized over the ends. I believe that no matter how successful and promising, ends achieved as a result of wrong practices should not be accepted. If we knowingly choose unethical means to get the desired result, it may seem worth it temporarily, but eventually we will regret our choices.
However, when I look around and see what happens in our society, I cannot say that we should put absolute priority on the means. Oftentimes, even the means that are widely considered most “right” are abandoned when its ends are not what people want. For example, in Korea, reading the textbook and listening carefully to every word that the teacher says are often considered to be the “right” way of studying. However, it turns out that students who have private tutorings, buy expensive online lectures, and rely on private academies often have better grades than others. Hence, more students who want to have a better grade rely on private sources for learning, have tutorings all night and sleep during classes in school. All of them know in their heads that focusing on school is the “right” way of studying, but they intentionally avoid it and choose a more expensive and slightly disrespectful way of private education, because it has more promising results. Essentially, students choose the ends over the means.
As such, means that do not bring the desired ends are often labeled as “the wrong means.” They become the so-called bad examples that others should avoid. Because success is such an important factor in society, the ends are more valorized and people slowly forget about the questionable methods that led them to their success. In such a way, our society makes it so difficult for us to put means over ends.
To conclude, in the debate of the means versus the ends, I believe that although there are certain means that we know should be valued, the fight for success makes it hard to ignore the ends. Regardless of their nature, the labels attached to the means depend on the ends; means that bring success become the “correct” ones while those that don’t become the “wrong” ones. It is, in a sense, a sad reality, but I personally do not think it will change anytime soon. What are your thoughts on this question?