Rational Ethics: Intention or Consequences?

This video is a part of my ongoing series of videos on ethics.

I discuss whether we should focus on intent or the consequences when assessing actions morally and the people who perform those actions.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• virtue
• ethics
• consequentialism
• morality
• nihilism
• egoism
• eudaimonia
• compatibilism
• determinism
• objectivism
• is-ought
• problem
• deontology
• intention
• consequences

[ks100001]

Good video, XO. But I have to say I disagree with the intentions part.

I've thought about this topic a lot, and I've had to humble myself to the painful realization that, in the end, intentions don't matter.

Others can't know my intentions (unless I declare them in advance, ofc), and therefore the consequences of my actions are the only criterion by which they will assess me.

Explaining intentions may help in the process of restitution, though. But that's another matter.

[XOmniverse]

Is it your view then that psychology and understanding other people is impossible then?

[ks100001]

@XOmniverse

No, quite the opposite. I think psychology is vital. In fact, this is a part of my quest to figure my own psychology. =)

But as human interactions go, consequences come first.

E.g. if I step on your toes, you will say "Ow!"

If it was accidental, you will say "OK, no problem." If I do it on purpose, you will say "Fuck you."

But it will still have hurt.

[XOmniverse]

Right, but if I am judging you to know if you're going to be a good friend for example, I'm going to want to analyze your actions and behaviors, your answers to questions I ask, things you say, etc. to develop some conception of what kind of person you are.

I think you're still stuck in the mindset that the exclusive role of morality is to execute legal justice. That is only one small application of it; morality encompasses every decision we make.

[lengthyounarther]

whoo, 13.25. Youtube must be changing.

[XOmniverse]

I think it goes by file size rather than length now. I was surprised too.

[AfricanPrince]

Why are you making a distinction between pleasure/pain "and" emotion/happiness?

Also, I make a distinction between criticizing persons as immoral and criticising *decisions* as morally wrong.

[stealthswimmer]

agreed here. i generally say consequences are more important, but i acknowledge that it's a balance of both. I never 100% completely disregad consequences like some people seem willing to do. This is a good vid, and I was wondering if anyone would ever say "it's not intentions or consequences...it's both"

[UnschoolingEagle]

Great video. Both Intentions and consequences are very important.

[Anekantavad]

Personal remarks settle nothing.

[ks100001]

@Anekantavad You must really have trouble getting up in the morning.

[Anekantavad]

Actions can indeed "lie" in that someone can do something "good" for a very "bad" reason. I might use subterfuge and act all moral and good in order to gain someone's trust, then do them harm.

We can't tell if an action is good or bad, moral or immoral, unless we can know the intent behind them. We can't and we never will know why anyone ever does anything.

Seriously.

[ks100001]

Huh? Who said that actions have no value? They are the ONLY things that have value.

And your comment very effectively displays why intentions don't count. People can lie about their intentions, but their actions do not lie.

[Anekantavad]

@ks100001 This of course assumes that intentions can be accurately conveyed, and that they will be believed. It also assumes that they can be accurately understood as conveyed.

So far, I think you agree. But the problem is that, if one is talking morality, one is placing a subjective value on actions, and actions are just actions - in and of themselves they have no value, any more than a shooting star or a wave on the sea does.

[Anekantavad]

It is impossible to ascertain anyone's motive for anything, and attempting to do so is potentially disastrous. Wars are almost inevitably caused by a misreading or misjudging of motive, and a failure to recognize the fact that motive cannot in the very nature of things ever be known can cause us to ascribe motive, as it were, unilaterally and act upon that.