The phrase 'the end does not justify the means' expresses which idea?

• A. The means must be moral for the action to be moral
• B. Good intentions alone make the action good
• C. The end justifies the means if the outcome is beneficial
• D. The end and the means must both be good, regardless of intention

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that morality sits in the methods used, not just in the outcome. Saying the end does not justify the means means you can’t use bad methods to achieve a good result. The means themselves must be morally acceptable for the action to be considered moral.

That’s why the best option says the means must be moral for the action to be moral. Even if the end seems beneficial, employing deceit, coercion, or harm would still make the action immoral.

Why the other ideas don’t fit: relying on good intentions alone misses that the method matters; saying the end justifies the means reverses the statement by making a good result excuse bad methods; and insisting the end and means must both be good “regardless of intention” adds a nuance about intention that the phrase isn’t asserting.