There are many different contexts to approach this from.Dionysus wrote:How can anyone assert that the ends do not justify the means, when everyday, we justify our appropriation and killing of other life for the sake of furthering our own, when we kill animals for the sake of nourishment?
If a man tries to use innocent people as a means to an end (let's say the end is petty vengeance), but then ends up surprised that he was found out (and hence ended up being used as a means to an end to the same degree), then what good is he to anyone? Not only is he a harm to others, but he's a harm to himself. This is the kind of man who ends up surprised by his own stupidity. Such a person cannot even treat himself well, and his self abuse spills over onto others.
If you're going to approach reality through the means-end dynamic, obviously there are sensible and sinister reasons for it.
As for the gazillion of other examples there are for "means to an end" thinking, it depends on the context and the purity of character.
This forum is largely about the nature of genius, which means it's about character, personality. Hypothetical's are ideally put into the context of psychology, motive, nobility, purity. Yes, sometimes exploitative actions are practical, trivial and relatively harmless. Other times they are petty and asinine.