Which is more important to consider in moral judgment: The outcome or the intent?

Question

Does your answer change when you consider the war in Iraq?

How about when you consider someone prostituting themselves to buy food for younger siblings?

Answer 1

Honestly, I would have to say that my answer differs based on the facts of a situation. As a rule, I think for my own personal issues and actions, intent weighs much more heavily than outcome. I try to trust God for the outcome. I am not perfect, however, and sometimes can only see the outcome... unfortunately.

As to the war and/or prostitution: different situations that are not comparable for me. One is not a sin and one is. I would consider that above all.

Answer 2

Now THIS is a good question!!!!

I would say that the outcome is most important in making a moral decision (or judgement). The old saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions" is quite true!

The drunk driver who mows down a crowd of civilians at a corner was "only trying to have a good time, I didn't MEAN to kill anybody" is a good example. His supposedly innocent intentions doe not whitewash his ultimate decision to get behind the wheel of a death machine while intoxicated, and so kill somebody.

The woman who becomes a prostitute is still making a bad decision. The fact that some good can be milked out of her actions is no excuse for those actions. She needs to swallow her pride and ask somebody for help!

My answer doesn't change about the war in iraq. Either we were right in going in, because a job needed to be done, or we weren't. Fortunately, we are not stuck with answering such questions!

Answer 3

what is always more important is the outcome as intent is just state of mind of the moment where as the outcome is what u have to really live with and more than one person has to live with the outcome. the war in Iraq is really a money and oil war and power. they (in power want to take the fight back to them there. as for prostituting themselves, u have to look at it as not all prostitutes don't hate wut they do some do enjoy their work. some are called wife's. they don't work a real job for money directly but provide for their husbands sex on demand. Work as we know is a form of prostitution, if you stop to think we do actions for money but not always like it, but do it anyways. Sex is work if you think of it like that but pleasure for both if done right for both. Moral judgment is something which each of thinks differently but will say something else to go with the pack if they are not strong minded. so consider this what do u think inside when you there needing money to buy food for someone else? when you are in that position then you can really say you know yourself and can say truly to yourself

Answer 4

St Thomas Aquinas wrote on this topic. As far as the person who is doing the thinking and the action it goes something like this:

1. If a person is doing a good thing for a good reason then it is virtuous morally, even if s/he fails and it turns out badly.

2. If a person is trying to do something bad and does a bad thing it is sin, even if it turns out good.

3. If a person does a bad thing to get a good result, it is still bad even if it does turn out good. (The ends don't justify the means.)

4. If a person does a good thing for a bad reason, that is also actually bad, because the person's heart and mind were in a bad place, even though the thing was good.

About Iraq, if you consider Pope John Paul II to have been a wise man, he strongly advised against warring in Iraq. The 'end' does not justify the means,,, and we are not getting the 'end' we wanted anyway.

A person (male or female) is not justified in prostituting themselves for food.

Going into Afghanistan was justified because that was really a matter of a situation where self-defense required us to break up those camps and try to restrain al-qaeda.

Here is a link to the table of contents in the section of the Summa Theologica that contains this subject. Look under 'Human Acts'

http://www.newadvent.org/summa/2.htm

Answer 5

You are posing an intelligent question I could not answer outright. But I would seek the wider picture, before considering a judgment. I would refer to "Rational Spirituality", available on the Dhaxem website.

Answer 6

I don't know of any moral philosophies -- other than Social Darwinism (for example Ayn Rand or the Nazi movement) that say that the outcome is more important than the intent. Certain religious philosophies ranging from Catholicism to Buddhism claim that intent is the important thing. Kant's argument is a thing of beauty -- as long as you buy into his assumptions (which I do).

Nothing would change my answer.

Answer 7

Get a legit job to feed siblings!! Have you ever heard "It takes just as much if not more planning and effort to become successful at an illegal job as it does a legal one"? No excuses!! No one gets a free pass!!! The only way is through Jesus Christ!!

Answer 8

well,first of all, actions is from intentions.And although it may appear to be self-less,it is from an illegal act none the same.How many inner-city kids have believed that they had to sell rock cocaine in order to eat,buy clothes, and or help their other siblings because of a negligent parent? It's still wrong.