A good cause can become bad if we fight for it with means that are indiscriminately murderous. A bad cause can become good if enough people fight for it in a spirit of comradeship and self-sacrifice. In the end it is how you fight, as much as why you fight, that makes your cause good or bad.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The morality of a cause depends heavily on the methods used to fight for it, not just the goal itself.
- In plain terms
- A cause becomes good or bad based on how you fight for it, not just why you fight.
- What can you take from it?
- Means matter as much as ends in determining the morality of a cause.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can bad means justify a good end?
- What defines a good cause?
Another view
Sometimes extreme measures are necessary for a truly just cause.
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