Introduction
This paper addresses the issue of whether intent or outcome should be the criteria by
which morals are judged. The issue investing the role of intent in moral behaviour is as
simple as it is old. Is ethical behaviour characterised by the quality of intention, or rather
shall we say that behaviour is good if it produces a moral outcome? As we will see, such a
question is in turn bound to give birth to other questions. Thus, one way that moral
analysis might proceed is from looking at issues agreed to be moral ones, and then trying
to analyse the nature of such questions. The basic question addressed here is:
If we had two hypothetical people, one of whom is well-intentioned and consistently gets it
ethically wrong, the other is motivated purely by selfishness but always behaves well purely
from cold calculated motives, which is to be preferred?
The first individual is one who does something unintentionally evil, armed with good
intentions. He may be someone who coercively tries to make a utopian society;
or someone who forces sick people to submit to a harmful therapy deeming it useful; or
just the boy-scout that mistakenly has the old woman cross the street while she wanted
to stay exactly where she was. The second individual is motivated by selfishness and
then purely behaves well from calculated motives. An example may be found in the
surgeon who operates and heals you in order to earn a stellar fee; or the official who
takes good decisions for career reasons. Will our judgement remain absolutely
unchanged in different situations, or shall circumstances affect our choice? Moreover,
is there one best and constant (and universal) moral behaviour, or does the notion
change along different times places and cultures? This moral dilemma is about moral
dilemmas.
In fostering morals we have the choice of invoking either punishment or reward. Of
these two it does seem that reward is by far the more effective, although punishment has
its place as a means of containing those who overtly flout the principles. The merit of
reward is that it is focussed: “do this and get approval”, “follow this rule and reward will
follow”. It does, in other words, act as a guide – whereas punish forbids, but one is not
sure if it x, y, or z that is being forbidden. A child who paints the family cat is punished,
but does not know if it is for cruelty, wasting paint, or using the wrong colour.