小翔飞飞212

yuxiang1900UID: 2558709

212 "If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it is justifiable."

Life needs a goal, it is the source of motivation, and makes our lives meaningful. it might be tempting to agree with the speaker, based on we ought to try our best to attain our goals. However, the assertion that any means can be taken to attain the worthy goal is, to some extent, too extremely.

At the first threshold, I think it is better to give "a worthy goal" a clear definition. First, the goal must base on reasoning and logic. If one's target is producing a perpetual machine, he or she in the end is doomed to failure. As we all know such a goal is violate law of conservation of energy. At least, in nowadays, any means to take to attain such a goal would be only a waste of time and resources. Second, to the individual, a worthy goal should benefit your development. There is, more often than not, no essence to make a goal like sleeping 20 hours a day, or drinking as much as one can everyday. Third, and also the most important is that as a great goal in your mind, it should benefits your surroundings, even the whole society, although other people would have their own perspective to the ultimate worth of the goal. For example, physicist want to develop the use of atomic energy to replace the fossil fuel in order to reduce the pollution, many people would oppose for fear of the result would apply on a new atomic bomb. It is natural by virtue of differing values, backgrounds, and experience. However, it is also irreproachable for the physicist's goal. And we also should encourage his or her wills for benefiting environment and human being.

Then, the fundamental problem with the statement is neglect that any means taken to the goal should not come into sharp contradiction with the morality and, at least, laws. A business man is able to get more wealth through monopolism; a politician is able to get more power through fascism. But, as we all know that, overconcentration of power and wealth will lead to threat to the fairness of whole society and injures the majority of social members' benefits. Of course, the means taken to the goals are unjustifiable. An even more remarkable modern example was Adolf Hitler, who, invaded Poland and triggered the Second World War for the sake of pulling German out of the economic crisis in 1930s. The goal that saving German is no doubt worthy for most of people, however the war bring too much death, refugees, fear and sorrow to the people nearly all of the world. To Hitler, he could not escape from failure; to us, it is impossible to admit his means to his goal is justifiable also.

Moreover, you need to keep a clear consciousness of efficiency and effectivity when you take means for your goal as far as possible, although it is hard to assess the actions you have taken are indeed appropriated. For instance, It would never be a good choice to ride a bike from Beijing to New York for an emergency meeting, because beside impossible, it lacks of efficiency and effectivity. Even if finally you make it, the means is unjustifiable.

In sum, I can hardly agree with the speaker's assertion altogether. In my opinion, to a worthy goal, only choose legal and reasoning means to attain it, would be it justifiable leaving with no doubt. It should be a principle to guide our daily lives.