On the face of things, it appears that few things are harder to understand in the ethical realm than the idea that the means chosen determine the end achieved. Only means consistent with the end goal will bring success.
Most people realize this and live it out on a direct, practical level. But when it gets beyond the immediate, practical events, then people seem to forget the principle. Most people realize, on a personal level, that cooperation leads to a better life than conflict does. Yet expand the idea to a social level, and suddenly many people believe that using force against [taking money from] their neighbor is the proper way to achieve the goal they desire. If you doubt that, just substitute the usual method of using force – taxation – in the sentence: many people believe that taxing their neighbor is the proper way to achieve the goal (improve their child’s education, e.g.) they desire. How many people do you know that would disagree with that?
It’s been noted by many scholars that socialism is an attempt to achieve liberal ends by conservative means. The liberal ends are peace, prosperity, happy life, etc. The means chosen by socialists are increased use of force (taxation), restrictions on people’s activities to achieve their goals (regulations), playing favorites (subsidies), etc. It should be no surprise to anyone when the socialist’s policies yield an end state of hatred, class warfare, and a deterioration of prosperity. It’s no surprise because that is the resultant end state created by the means chosen, i.e. taxation, regulations and subsidiaries yield hatred, class warfare, poverty when their implications are worked out. Happens every time.
Liberalism (liberalism as in the beliefs of John Locke, the Founding Fathers, etc.) itself suffered from a similar problem. Liberalism borrowed the end state promised by Christianity – peace, prosperity, happiness – but hoped to achieve it using only some of the means Christianity asserted as necessary. In short, they aimed at Christian goals by secular means. In Christian political theory, the end state of peace, prosperity and happiness was the result of God’s blessing, itself a result of people living the justice and righteousness demanded by God. Liberalism expected peace, prosperity, and happiness while living a life of greed, envy and lust. It didn’t work either.
With centuries of historical experience to observe, you’d think people would understand better. Only means based on a consistent Christian worldview will achieve results pleasing to God and truly helpful to our fellow man. And yet, so often I hear people recommending the use of anti-Christian means, hoping to achieve a Christian goal. Or the use of forceful means to achieve a freedom goal. It ain’t going to work, folks!
Askance Eye Miniblog 