Sep 9, 2008 17:17
15 yrs ago
1 viewer *
English term
Italy
Your financial translation expert
Native in: Italian 
Works in: English to Italian, French to Italian, Italian
for the sake of good consequences
English
Social Sciences
Philosophy
Hi, can you please help me interpret the sentence below?
"Max Weber famously distinguished an ethic of ultimate ends from an ethic of responsibility. In the former, absolute moral imperatives must not be violated **for the sake of good consequences**, but an ethic of responsibility must focus on the results".
Does this mean that if absolute moral imperatives are violated, bad consequences will ensue? Or am I completely out of track here?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Adele
"Max Weber famously distinguished an ethic of ultimate ends from an ethic of responsibility. In the former, absolute moral imperatives must not be violated **for the sake of good consequences**, but an ethic of responsibility must focus on the results".
Does this mean that if absolute moral imperatives are violated, bad consequences will ensue? Or am I completely out of track here?
Thanks in advance for your help.
Adele
Responses
| 4 +8 | the end does not justify the means |
Mark Berelekhis
|
Responses
+8
3 mins
Mark Berelekhis
United States
United States
Native in English
&
English
Works in field
United States
Exemplary quality, truly bilingual
Native in: Russian , English
Works in: Russian to English, English to Russian, English
Related KudoZ points
:
4
Selected
the end does not justify the means
A popular truism. Means you can't do bad "immoral" things, even if the end goal is "good."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2008-09-09 17:21:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The other ethic is also commonly described as: "If you wanna make an omelet, you got to break some eggs," meaning the end does justify the means.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2008-09-09 17:21:45 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------
The other ethic is also commonly described as: "If you wanna make an omelet, you got to break some eggs," meaning the end does justify the means.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Patricia Townshend (X)
45 mins
|
|
Thank you, Patricia.
|
|
| agree |
Jack Doughty
1 hr
|
|
Thank you, Jack.
|
|
| agree |
Ken Cox
: and my sympathy for Adele -- even a native speaker has to read this twice to figure out what is meant.
1 hr
|
|
Thank you, Ken. Philosophy tends to be pesky.
|
|
| agree |
Milagros Gutierrez Castro
: for me the key word is "absolute" along with imperative, meaning that it would be justifiable to violate some "minor" moral principles
1 hr
|
|
Thank you, Maria.
|
|
| agree |
Demi Ebrite
: One must not go against their moral imperatives in order to obtain or create good consequences.
3 hrs
|
|
Thank you, debrite.
|
|
| agree |
Heather Shaw
4 hrs
|
|
Thank you, Heather.
|
|
| agree |
orientalhorizon
8 hrs
|
|
Thank you, oriental.
|
|
| agree |
Phong Le
10 hrs
|
|
Thank you, phong.
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you Mark and a special thanks to David for his comment in the "discussion" section. I was simply reading the sentence the other way round (i.e. the only way to get good consequences is to adhere to strict moral principles). Thanks for enlightening me! :-)"
Discussion