An ends-based analysis of 9/11
Posted by intlrel on April 4, 2008
9/11 which was planned and carried out by members of al-Qaeda was a consequentialist, or ends-based action rather than a rule-based action. According to Osama bin Laden, the attacks were meant to threaten US security and to harm the US economically, benefitting the Muslim/Arab world, which he believed was being oppressed by the United States. Al-Qaeda was not concerned with the morality of killing thousands of innocent civilians. They were only morally concerned with the consequences of their actions - the harm it would cause to the US, and therefore the supposed benefit it would bring to Arabs and Muslims in places like Palestine and Lebanon where the US interferred with their liberty. In some ways, Osama bin Laden and his cohorts did acheive there goal. The American Stock Exchange closed from September 11-17, this was the longest closure since the Great Depression in 1929. US stocks lost $1.2 trillion in value for the week. The security of Americans has also been greatly threatened which is evident in the extreme tightening of airport security and regulations. Although al-Qaeda influenced the US as they had intended, the beneficial impact on the Arab/Muslim world is debatable to say the least.
alekelsey said
I like the point of view you discuss when you say that al-qaeda reasoned using end-based action rather than rule-based action. I agree with your reasoning and evidence to a large extent, but wonder if there was also rule-based action involved? Of course, one would have to consider looking further into what is considered moral to the members of al-qaeda (based on religion or middle-eastern culture), for western values of morality may be different in many ways. I also like how you talk about the problems they wished to instill on America, but do you think that they also took into account the problems that acts of terror would reflect onto them?
I enjoyed reading your post! keep on bloggin!