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Wed 21 Jan, 2015 10:35 am
Does "to treat them as ends in themselves rather than as a means to some further end" mean "to treat other people, and such treatments are the aims/goals for the people rather as a means to serve higher purpose (for the people)"?
Context:
As Jonathan Glover writes: "Our entanglements
with people close to us erode simple self-interest. Husbands,
wives, lovers, parents, children and friends all blur the boundaries
of selfish concern. Francis Bacon rightly said that people with
children have given hostages to fortune. Inescapably, other forms of
friendship and love hold us hostage too. . . . Narrow self-interest
is destabilized."
To treat others ethically is to act out of concern for their happiness and suffering. It is, as Kant observed, to treat them as ends in
themselves rather than as a means to some further end. Many ethical injunctions converge here - Kant's categorical imperative, Jesus'
golden rule!a-bt the basic facts are these: we experience happiness
and suffering ourselves; we encounter others in the world and rec-
ognize that they experience happiness and suffering as well; we
soon discover that "love" is largely a matter of wishing that others
@oristarA,
It seems no one would like to answer this question?
@oristarA,
It's more like treating people well is reward in itself.
It's not like you are treating others well/kindly just to be able to get/gain something from them later, but because it's the right thing to do.
Example: You don't love and treat your spouse well just so they will do things for you i.e. provide support, prepare meals etc., but because you simply want to be kind to them.
Albeit it does increase your chances of being treated well.
@chai2,
chai2 wrote:
It's more like treating people well is reward in itself.
It's not like you are treating others well/kindly just to be able to get/gain something from them later, but because it's the right thing to do.
Example: You don't love and treat your spouse well just so they will do things for you i.e. provide support, prepare meals etc., but because you simply want to be kind to them.
Albeit it does increase your chances of being treated well.
Cool. I felt being enlightened. But I am still not very clear. Would you like to rewrite "ends in themselves" so that I could get it completely?
@oristarA,
Quote:Would you like to rewrite "ends in themselves"
End = result, outcome.
Quote:To treat others ethically is to act out of concern for their happiness and suffering. It is, as Kant observed, to treat them as ends in
themselves rather than as a means to some further end
Treat others well, purely (only, solely) for the sake of the kind deed.
NOT for any other reason (such as personal gain, status, reputation etc etc.)
@McTag,
Yes, McTag said it well Orister.
For instance, we enjoy helping explain things about English to you, just because it helps you out, and that is reward in itself.
It is as clear as crystal now.
Thank you both.
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