Ends vs Means: Decoding Ethics Basics | UPSC GS 4 Insights | K M Pathi

Ends or Means: What matters? | Ethics Basics | UPSC GS 4 | K M Pathi
In this video, we explore one of the most fundamental debates in ethical philosophy: the relationship between "ends" and "means." What do these terms really mean in the context of ethical decision-making? And how do they shape our understanding of right and wrong?
Key Concepts:
Ends are the goals we aim for. Are all ends justified, or should there be limits?
Means are the methods used to achieve those goals. Is it acceptable to use any means to reach a good end, or do the means themselves matter?
Ethical Theories:
Consequentialism: Explore J.S. Mill's Utilitarianism and whether the end justifies the means.
Deontology: Discover how Immanuel Kant challenges this idea by emphasizing moral rules.
Virtue Ethics: Learn Aristotle's perspective on balancing good ends with good means.
We also examine the relevance of ends and means in the context of:
Business ethics: Profit vs. People
Leadership & governance: The responsibility to balance ethical means with just ends
By the end of this video, you'll understand how the "ends vs. means" debate shapes everyday ethical choices, from personal dilemmas to global policies.
#UPSC #IAS #EthicsCaseStudy #GS4 #CivilServices #PublicPolicy #EthicalDilemmas #UPSCPreparation #CaseStudyAnalysis #UPSC2024 #publicsafety
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00:15 - Introduction: Ends or Means
04:30 - What Will We Discuss Today?
04:46 - Meaning of Ends and Means
05:47 - 4 Basic Terms in Ethics
06:24 - Difference Between Ends and Means
08:44 - Relationship Between Ends and Means
10:35 - Relevance of the Words Ends and Means
12:31 - Ends and Means in the Context of Governance and Public Administration
13:35 - Conclusion

[@suyashjain2818]

Good Evening sir, Student of you from last year batch. As a civil servant, I will focus on right means first to get the right ends but if ends is related to larger picture like national security or internal security, I will make compromise with means. This is how I will try to make balance between two. I don’t know it is right or not. But this my current thought process.

[@RupamBhuyan2]

Hello brother, how can I access his course? The NextIAS course,or are there any other platform. Please respond.

[@suyashjain2818]

@@RupamBhuyan2 I attended in next ias and watch videos on KZbin, I am not aware of any other source.

[@RupamBhuyan2]

@@suyashjain2818 thanks for the response

[@ethics101]

Hi, I take classes at Next Ias and that is the only source. Besides that this channel is where I post videos on concepts and other relevant subject content.

[@ethics101]

Hi, nice to see you here…national interest situations are exceptional cases where means argument usually never holds as it is all about greater good. But in routine situations a public servant is expected to keep the means clean and the ends good.

[@VIKASHKUMAR-gy8qd]

in just few minutes of video, you gave us a superb explanation. thank you sir

[@ethics101]

Thanks 🙏

[@aynatforever3187]

Means=Ends ~ Balance ❤

[@ethics101]

👍

[@GodsOwnSon1111]

Wow, sir your videos and efforts are praiseworthy,but I don't have enough words to express my gratitude to you. So i can only say your videos are just amazing because I used to be afraid of ethics but not anymore. Thanks very much for doing this for us

[@ethics101]

Glad I could help you getting rid of fear of ethics…hope to see you here more often

[@GodsOwnSon1111]

@@ethics101 sir, from now onwards I'll binge watch 😅

[@priyapurohit8412]

Sir ❤ The means are the end in making. Means and ends are inseparable. An end cannot be justified independently of its means. It must validate itself through certain parameters. For Gandhi, that parameter is whether the right path was followed. If so, then the ends are inherently good. The principle 'what we sow is what we reap' applies. Good ends cannot be achieved through bad means. For instance, a new nation cannot experience sustainable peace if its very foundation was laid through compromised means, such as violence, instead of non-violence.

[@ethics101]

Thanks for the perspective, well presented 👍

[@priyapurohit8412]

@@ethics101 😊🙏

[@siddiqueiasgar8425]

Oooo my god What a story ❤❤❤❤ 🙏🙏

[@ethics101]

🙏❤️

[@hayan_7]

I can recall the horrific cannibalism that occured in peru ,andes mountain Plane Crash. I support the consequesnism there because there were a lot a people hoping to survive. So utilitarianism supports the act. Afterall human are animals whose primary goal is to surviving. Many refused to eat their beloved and died.( Which also a part of humanity.) It depends on the person and his values during such situations. I can recall the movie life of pi, where Richard Parker made it to the shore because he happened to be that boy's friend. But even after being a vegan he ate fish to survive. It's all emotions and situation 🙂

[@ethics101]

Thanks for the thoughtful effort 👍

[@MehakMakkar-r8e]

Thank you sir for this wonderful session. Sir, As a civil servant, its our moral responsibility to follow right means for achieving good results. However, if strict adherence to these rules (means) are causing significant harm or preventing significant good, then one must follow the approach of threshold deontology for having desirable results (i.e wrong action can be morally justified if its consequences surpasses the certain level of seriousness) For e.g Mother Teresa had accepted donation from the people who were corrupted, for serving humanity . Also, Dr. APJ Abdul kalam made India nuclear power, who himself was very peaceful president and human being. Hence, threshold deontology balances the approach of rigid deontology with flexible teleology, to reach at morally justified action.

[@ethics101]

Thanks for the perspective of threshold deontology. Makes sense. You started with civil servants but ended with Mother Teresa…that’s quite a range… wish you had given a civil service example.

[@MehakMakkar-r8e]

Ok sir...i will improve my example....thankyou for your feedback

[@ethics101]

@@MehakMakkar-r8e most welcome!!

[@ayushdash1138]

If one takes care of the means the end will take care of itself

[@Adykr1]

In real life many places people only think about ends 😊

[@ethics101]

True, but is easier said than done…

[@sumitniranjan8794]

Sir please make a discussion of Ethics paper also your insights are helpful...

[@ethics101]

Noted.

[@ashishrana481]

As suggested by the experts, a civil servant must have a balanced personality. So, I will go sometimes with means and sometimes with end as all in society are not angel. And need to act accordingly.

[@ethics101]

Fair enough 👍

[@palak_mangal18]

Thank you Sir🙏🏻

[@ethics101]

🙏

[@anandgarg2716]

Sir , can we say that means and end are depends on priority. For example , in Kurukshetra war Arjun followed his duty. He gave priority to his duty( Deontology). And in 1976 , Sanjay Gandhi initiated a compulsory sterilization program to limit population growth. He focused on ends ( Consequentialism).

[@ethics101]

Yes, means and ends depends on priority, context, individuals involved

[@akankshatiwary1262]

Pranam Sir 🙏 I think it depends on situation, as to what to be given more emphasis Like , Bhagwaan Ram followed all the rules of war during war with Ravana (means oriented) . However he did not followed the same in war with Bali (end oriented). Thus it depends on situation. Thanks Sir. Radhe Radhe 🙏🙏

[@ethics101]

True, it is context driven

[@akankshatiwary1262]

@@ethics101 Thankyou Sir 🙏

[@pradumnraghuwanshi]

Tnku pathi sir ❤

[@ethics101]

🙏

[@Rahulsharma.999]

Hello sir Jai Hind sir

[@ethics101]

Jai Hind 🇮🇳

[@Indian-pc8mu]

Michael Sandel in his Justice playlist said this story

[@ethics101]

This is a very popular case used in law and moral philosophy…

[@shalusoni1316]

Thank you sir👏 What can be right means to balance both the terms and then probable examples be used in this?? .. -- Quotes & Philosophers of both the domains :: deontologist & Consequentialist.... Will it be sufficient or we need to apply the PESTEL approach and what else? in such type of answers and case studies... Please guide in this🙏 regard..

[@ethics101]

Frankly, I haven’t understood the first part of the question, “balancing both the terms” Further, ends and means are basic concepts of ethics which can be explained using philosophers and their ideas the way I have done in the video using Mill & Kant. Further, the usefulness of the concept in case studies is while developing options for the issues. The options can be end focused or means focused. I wonder who advised you about PESTLE approach for resolving ethical dilemmas. PESTLE is used in corporate settings as a strategic decision making tool. I don’t think it will be useful for upsc 250 words case studies where questions are precise and specific.

[@shalusoni1316]

@@ethics101 No sir... I was asking about how can we balance both the terms means in Q no. Of points can be shown in tabular form or paragraph wise... Not in case study Qs just in explaining Qs.... PESTEL too for "meaning or explaining "type Qs... 2) Case Studies can be approach how for balancing Means and Ends Qs? Sorry i could make you understand my doubt Thank you sir for the help. 🙏🙂

[@manjunathjeerla6816]

Good Evening ! Guruji . Please help us with analysis of 2024 with your valuable insights for 2025 mains 🙏

[@ethics101]

Sure. Noted

[@supriyashakya6094]

Hello sir, Isn't the means and ends are context based...In COVID time there is lockdown announced which curtail the liberty of people to travel or meeting to people,but in broad view this action into a best comes to stop the spreading of deadly virus . Thank you

[@ethics101]

Yes, in practice individuals use means or ends depending on the situation and issues involved. This video was to explain the terms ends and means.

[@jaynimje3790]

Sir It is an Humble request Please make a Strategy Video on Ethics. 🙏🙏🙏🙏 Also How can I join your course?

[@ethics101]

Strategy videos…hmm let me think about it … I teach at Next Ias, you can join the course there.

[@manojkumarchowdari9290]

Hi sir, Good Evening sir, Hope you are doing well

[@ethics101]

Hi, all good. Trust the same from you

[@manojkumarchowdari9290]

@@ethics101 yes sir I'm doing good Thankyou sir,

[@MR-gx7es]

sir please can u launch ethics classes

[@ethics101]

Need to think about it…

[@MR-gx7es]

@@ethics101 yes sir u can make announcement in ur channel

[@ethics101]

@@MR-gx7es 👍

[@MR-gx7es]

@@ethics101 sir please launch a course for this. Because unlike other GS we can't prepare GS4 on our selves please sir

[@ethics101]

@@MR-gx7es I do get your point

[@kanishkarkohli3371]

Rigidity in ethics never works...its always the balance...

[@prasanthias3766]

This is a Rigid Statement It may or may not work it depends upon the Situation Sometimes you have to be rigid in your Goals to pursue it

[@kanishkarkohli3371]

@@prasanthias3766 yeah...thats the balance right...sometimes we need to rigid while sometimes it may become flexible...

[@Ankit_vlog3]

In National interest means can be wrong and it may be lead to good end here, both are not balance.

[@ethics101]

National interest situations are exceptional situations…

[@yogeshdahayat7886]

Sir aap Hindi me bhi samjhaiye please

[@ethics101]

Hmm…

[@WandererTejaFootprints]

Not satisfied sir😢 Need some more analysis

[@ethics101]

Sure. You will hear more on this theme in some future episodes

[@TusharHMT]

Well but you don't mention the actual problem why should one get success and failure (the end)... nobody question it someof them talk about it but they are just theories....there is no base for anything to be right or wrong...in your boat example after that boy killed you question their decision as ethical or not but what about the tortoise life we have designed to take only human life seriously😂😂...ethics,morality and so on has been made but what happened we are in chaos as we were😂😂and look tortoise and other don't have ethics and stability is there hahaha...and this great man gandhi and his quote can't even match if his all means were appropriate then why did he said at last do what you wanna do(civil disobedience)

[@ethics101]

Hmm…tone sounds nihilistic. Nevertheless thanks for the perspective

[@TusharHMT]

@@ethics101 its this language fault sir that it made sound like nihilistic,,(kya kiya jaye adab nhi h isme sir☺️)btw i don't follow any 'ism'😂😂

[@ethics101]

@@TusharHMT hahaha 👍

[@neeraj7427]

Can anyone guess age of sir😊😅 99% fail honge Sir aapki age ruk gyi h... Kuch kro

[@ethics101]

🙈