Which works towards the end and means. Sample essays in the direction of "purpose and means"

Design and interior 27.11.2020

September 13th, 2017 risusan7

Friends, getting acquainted with examples of essays, remember that their author is a person who also tends to make mistakes. Do not write off these works, as you will receive a “failure” due to failure to meet requirement No. 2:

"Independence of writing the final essay (statement)"
The final essay is done independently. It is not allowed to copy the composition (fragments of the composition) from any source or reproduction from memory of someone else's text (the work of another participant, a text published in paper and (or) electronic form, etc.).

Throughout life, a person sets goals for himself, small and large, high and mundane, feasible and impossible ... Behind our every meaningful action is an intention, and the road to it is lined with means to achieve a result. What is the relationship between ends and means?

I think Aldous Huxley was right. That "the means determine the nature of the end" has been proved time and again by history. World wars, genocide, bloody revolutions have always been covered by good intentions. Insight comes later, when the means become obvious: ruined destinies and massive loss of life.

Literature has given us many examples of an immoral goal being exposed as the means to achieve it. So, in the novel by F.M. Dostoevsky convincingly shows how cruelly mistaken main character, who believed that great personalities who drive progress are allowed to commit monstrous crimes for good. Raskolnikov tests the theory by killing a greedy old pawnbroker. The massacre, the victim of which is not only the "insignificant, evil, sick old woman", but also the quiet and kind Lizaveta, does not make the world a better place. Rodion did not benefit mankind, but only multiplied the evil of this world.

The true nature of the goal is determined through the means and in the story of A.P. Chekhov. Nikolai Ivanovich dreamed for a long time of his own estate with gooseberry bushes. Not the most exalted goal, but at first glance, there is nothing bad in it either. Chimsha-Himalayan stubbornly pursued his goal, using all available means. He "undernourished, did not drink enough, dressed God knows how, like a beggar, and saved everything and put it in the bank." Nikolai Ivanovich did not even spare his wife, “kept her starving”, which is why she died. Yes, a person has found happiness, but how can there be a good goal, for the sake of which a human life is ruined?

1. Helen Kuragina married Pierre Bezukhov to get a part of his impressive fortune. At the same time, Helen did not like Pierre at all.

2. Vasily Kuragin and the three nieces of Count Bezukhov tried to destroy the will, according to which Pierre Bezukhov (the illegitimate son of the Count) was to receive the entire inheritance. They were so worried about the will, because without it it was possible to enrich themselves at the expense of the money of the dying.

3. Pierre Bezukhov, Andrei Bolkonsky, Nikolai and Petya Rostov are real patriots. They strive to defend the Motherland, therefore they help to bring victory over the enemy closer on their own.

M. Gorky "Old Woman Izergil"

Danko wants to help people. He pulls out a burning heart from his chest and lights the way for them. Danko saves people: soon they will come out of the forest. The hero dies without receiving gratitude, because they simply forget about him. Danko sacrificed himself to help people.

F.M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment"

1. "Am I a trembling creature, or do I have the right?" - to answer this question, Rodion Raskolnikov decided to kill the old pawnbroker. By chance, he also killed Lizaveta, her sister, whom he did not want to touch. Deciding to test his theory of a "strong personality", he did a terrible thing - he took the lives of two people.

2. Sonya Marmeladova went on a "yellow ticket" to help her father and Katerina Ivanovna, his wife, somehow survive. Circumstances forced the girl to dishonor herself in order to help her loved ones.

A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"

1. Pyotr Grinev had one goal - to save Masha Mironova, captain's daughter. To help the girl, the hero went to great lengths: he put his life in danger more than once, resorted to the help of Pugachev. Despite the connection with the impostor, Pyotr Grinev did not violate the oath, but proved that he was a man of honor.

2. Shvabrin tried all the time to save his own skin, not neglecting any means and methods to achieve the goal. At the first opportunity, he went over to the side of Pugachev, betraying his homeland and showing himself as a dishonorable person.

A.S. Pushkin "Dubrovsky"

Kirila Petrovich Troekurov did everything to harm his former comrade Andrei Gavrilovich Dubrovsky. The hero acted completely immorally. He bribed officials, deprived the Dubrovsky estate. Andrei Gavrilovich went mad and died.

Jack London "Martin Eden"

Martin Eden wanted to win Ruth's love. To do this, he needed to become worthy of this girl. Young man nothing stopped. He tirelessly worked on himself and eventually became smarter than the revered people of high society. The path of Martin Eden is an example of a worthy path to achieve the goal.

N.D. Teleshov "Yelka Mitrich"

Semyon Dmitrievich wanted to make a real holiday for the unfortunate orphans. For this, he did not need a lot of money, the most important thing was the desire to help. Mitrich bought sweets, brought a Christmas tree and even cut off a piece of sausage (his favorite food) for the children. Semyon Dmitrievich achieved his goal: for the first time, smiles and laughter appeared in a gloomy room.

We all set goals in life and then try to achieve them. Goals can be small or big, important or not so important: from buying a new phone to saving the world. Which of them can be considered worthy, and which - not? In my opinion, the significance of a goal is determined by how many people its achievement will help. If the goal is to acquire a thing simply for one's own pleasure, then it is understandable that the achievement of it will make only one person happy. If the goal is, for example, the invention of a cure for cancer, then it is obvious that its achievement will help save many people. It is the goals aimed at the benefit of many people that can be considered important and, of course, worthy. Is it important to set a goal to do good? Or maybe it is enough to live only for yourself, putting only your own well-being, mostly material, at the forefront? It seems to me that a person who strives to do something for the common good lives more full life, its existence acquires a special meaning, and the achievement of the goal will bring greater satisfaction.

Many writers have reflected in their works on life goals. So, R. Bradbury in the story "Green Morning" tells about Benjamin Driscoll, who flew to Mars and found that the air there is not very suitable for breathing, because it is too rarefied there. And then the hero decides to plant a lot of trees on the planet so that they fill the atmosphere of Mars with life-giving oxygen. This becomes his goal, his life's work. Benjamin wants to do this not only for himself, but for all the inhabitants of the planet. Can it be called a worthy goal? Undoubtedly! Was it important for the hero to set it and work hard to achieve it? Of course, because he feels that he will benefit people, and the achievement of this goal makes him truly happy.

A.P. Chekhov also discusses what goals are worthy in the story "Gooseberry". The author condemns the hero, whose meaning of life was the desire to acquire an estate with gooseberries. Chekhov believes that the meaning of life is not at all in material wealth and one's own egoistic happiness, but in tirelessly doing good. Through the lips of his hero, he exclaims: “... if there is a meaning and purpose in life, then this meaning and purpose is not at all in our happiness, but in something more reasonable and greater. Do good!”

Thus, we can come to the conclusion that it is important for each person to set truly worthy goals - to do good for the benefit of people.

What human qualities can help you achieve your goal?

Almost every day people set certain goals for themselves, but not everyone and not always manages to achieve them. Why do some succeed and others don't? What qualities do those people who successfully realize their desires have? It seems that in order to achieve the goal, perseverance, perseverance, the ability to overcome difficulties that arise on the way and not give up in case of failures, willpower, and self-confidence are important.

It is these character traits that are characteristic of the hero of B. Polevoy's "The Tale of a Real Man". He has always, since childhood, dreamed of flying. During the war he became a fighter pilot. However, fate was cruel to the hero. In the battle, his plane was shot down, and Meresyev himself was seriously injured in both legs, as a result of which they were forced to amputate. It would seem that he was never destined to fly again. However, the hero does not give up. He wants to "learn to fly without legs and become a full flier again." "Now he had a goal in life: to return to the profession of an exterminator." Alexey Meresyev is making truly titanic efforts to achieve this goal. Nothing can break the spirit of a hero. He trains hard, overcomes pain and continues to believe in success. As a result, the goal was achieved: Alexei returned to duty and continued to fight the enemy, flying the plane without both legs. In this he was helped by such qualities as willpower, perseverance, self-confidence.

Let us recall the hero of the story by R. Bradbury "Green Morning" by Benjamin Driscoll. His goal was to grow many trees on Mars so that they would fill the air with oxygen. For many days the hero works hard, planting seeds. He does not allow himself to look back, because he does not want to see that his labors do not lead to success: not a single seed has sprouted. Benjamin Driscoll does not allow himself to despair and give up, does not give up what he started, despite the failure. He continues to work day after day, and one day the day comes when, almost in an instant, thousands of trees planted by him grow and the air is saturated with life-giving oxygen. The goal of the hero is achieved. He was helped in this not only by perseverance and perseverance, but also by the ability not to lose heart, not to give in to failure.

I would like to believe that all these important and necessary qualities every person will be able to educate in himself, and then we will be able to fulfill our wildest dreams.

Does achieving a goal always make a person happy?

Every person walking along life path sets goals and then strives to achieve them. Sometimes he makes a lot of efforts to make the goal finally become a reality. And here comes the long-awaited moment. The goal has been reached. Does it always bring happiness? I think not, but not always. Sometimes it turns out that a wish that comes true brings no moral satisfaction, and perhaps even makes a person unhappy.

This situation is described in J. London's novel "Martin Eden". The main character had a goal - to become a famous writer and, having achieved material well-being, find family happiness with his girlfriend. For a long time, the hero is steadily moving towards his goal. He works all day long, denies himself everything, starves. Martin Eden makes truly titanic efforts to achieve his goal, shows incredible perseverance and strength of character, overcomes all obstacles on the path to success. Neither the numerous refusals of the editors of magazines, nor the misunderstanding on the part of people close to him, especially his beloved Ruth, can break him. In the end, the hero achieves his goal: he becomes a famous writer, he is published everywhere, he has fans. People who didn't want to know him before now invite him to dinner parties. Him more money than he can spend. And Ruth finally comes to him and is ready to be with him. It would seem that everything that he once dreamed of came true. Did it make the hero happy? Unfortunately no. Martin Eden is deeply disappointed. Neither fame, nor money, nor even the return of his girlfriend can bring him joy. Moreover, the hero experiences longing and moral devastation and eventually commits suicide.

Thus, we can conclude that achieving a goal is far from always capable of making a person happy, sometimes, on the contrary, it can lead to the opposite result.

(272 words)

Does the end always justify the means?

We all know the phrase: "The end justifies the means." Can we agree with this statement? In my opinion, this question cannot be answered unambiguously. It all depends on the specific situation. Sometimes the goal is such that the most radical methods can be used to achieve it, and sometimes a situation arises in which no goal can justify the actions of a person.

Suppose the means to an end is to kill another person. Will it be considered justified? At first glance it seems that, of course, no. However, things are not always so simple. Let's turn to literary examples.

Here in V. Bykov's story "Sotnikov" partisan Rybak saves his life by committing treason to his homeland: being captured, he agrees to serve in the police, participates in the execution of a comrade. And his victim is a courageous, worthy in all respects man - Sotnikov. Essentially, Rybak achieves his goal of surviving through betrayal and murder. Of course, in this case, the character's act cannot be justified in any way.

But in the work of M. Sholokhov “The Fate of a Man”, the main character Andrei Sokolov also kills a man with his own hand, and also “his own”, and not the enemy - Kryzhnev. Why is he doing this? His actions are explained by the fact that Kryzhnev was going to hand over his commander to the Germans. And although in this work, as well as in the already mentioned story "Sotnikov", murder becomes a means to achieve the goal, in the case of Andrei Sokolov, it can be argued that the goal justifies the means. After all, Sokolov does not save himself, but another person, does not act out of selfish motives or cowardice, but, on the contrary, seeks to help an unfamiliar platoon commander, who without his intervention would be doomed to death. In addition, a vile person, ready for betrayal, becomes a victim of murder.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that a lot depends on the specific situation. Apparently, there are circumstances in which the end justifies the means, but, of course, not in all cases.

(283 words)

What are graduates willing to do to achieve their goals?

Text: Anna Chaynikova
Photo: artkogol.ru

"Goals and means" - this is the third direction proposed to eleventh graders for the final essay. Let's try together to figure out what questions we should ask ourselves, what works to remember in order to choose a topic from this direction without fear and doubt.

FIPI comment:

The concepts of this direction are interconnected and allow us to think about the life aspirations of a person, the importance of meaningful goal setting, the ability to correctly correlate the goal and the means to achieve it, as well as the ethical assessment of human actions.

In many literary works characters are presented who deliberately or mistakenly chose unsuitable means to implement their plans. And it often turns out that a good goal serves only as a cover for true (lower) plans. Such characters are opposed to heroes for whom the means to achieve a lofty goal are inseparable from the requirements of morality.

vocabulary work

"Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language" by S. I. Ozhegov and N. Yu. Shvedova:
PURPOSE - the object of aspiration, what is necessary, it is desirable to implement.
A MEANS is a means, a method of action to achieve something.

Synonyms
Target- task, aspiration, intention, dream.
Means- way, technique, method of achieving (goals).

What could be the goals?

Noble (serving the ideals of goodness, justice; Motherland and people)
Low (selfish, selfish, disfiguring the human soul)

Within the framework of this thematic direction, schoolchildren are invited to reflect on life guidelines, human priorities. Choosing their own path, everyone makes decisions, sets goals and goes to them. Both the goals and the means to achieve them are different.

By what goals a person sets for himself, one can judge his life priorities and what he sees the meaning of life in.

What is more important for a person - disinterested help to people, serving the ideals of good or money-grubbing, selfish life "for oneself", an unprincipled desire to "go over their heads" to achieve their goal? This is the question that poses to his heroes V. Rozov in the play "The Capercaillie's Nest".

The author's attention is focused on the family of a prominent party worker Sudakov. His daughter Iskra works in the newspaper's letter department, where there is an endless stream of complaints and requests for help from desperate people. All your own free time the girl devotes herself to parsing correspondence, answering letters and helping people, in this she sees her vocation and destiny. Her husband, Georgy Yasyunin, a “young, promising” Ryazan, whose name his native village will someday be sure to name, builds a career with the same dedication. Growing up in poverty, he tries with all his might to break into the people, while he has no moral restrictions on the means to achieve his goal. The Iskra family, which received him warmly, became such a means for him. Arriving at Sudakov's house as a half-starved, downtrodden and obliging young man, Yegor spread his wings, not without the support of Sudakov began to quickly move up the career ladder and, finally, stepped over his benefactor. Speaking frankly with his mistress Ariadna, Yegor admits that he never loved Iskra and married her only out of gratitude for the human participation and help provided by her: “Of course, I treated her well, and, frankly, entering this house did not seem to me something terrible either, I would even say, on the contrary. But all this, you understand, was wrong, a mistake. And now, when all this nonsense has disappeared, when I have already completely acclimatized, as they say, I suddenly realized: ay-yai-yai, what have I done, how I behaved incorrectly. I confused ordinary human participation and gratitude for it with love.. However, it is hard to believe that Yegor knows how to be grateful. Having received everything that was possible from Sudakov, he considers him and life in his family "a passed stage": “…now I have to enter a new phase. Otherwise, everything, the end, the lid, further the bottom, the border of the terminal station ". Exactly the same means on the way to achieving the goal will then become for Yegor and the family of his new boss Koromyslov, father of Ariadne. She is young and naive, so she does not understand Iskra's warning words about true face Egor: "He will trample you, wipe his feet on you and step over".

According to Natalya Gavrilovna, Iskra's mother, the most dangerous of all are such cynical and unprincipled people who are ready to go over the heads of even those people who helped them.

Sudakov cannot believe that his son-in-law can betray his family and personally him: “Yegor will not go anywhere, he does not have this in his thoughts. In the end, he won’t leave because of me, he is attached to me, loves ” he says to his wife. However, Sudakov is mistaken - Yegor does not know such feelings as affection and gratitude. Unfortunately, he is not the only one. As soon as Yegor receives an appointment to a higher position, his colleague-sycophant Zolotarev comes to congratulate him, formulating the attitude of such a type of people as he and Yasyunin to others: “But in general, you spit on them. Old - it is old. What is he to you now, right? Relatives, and only ... Yesterday's roast. Relationships for such people do not play any role, love also does not make their heart tremble, gratitude is unfamiliar to them, and a person is interesting only as long as one can benefit from it.

At the end of the play, Yegor is expelled from the Sudakovs' house, even after an awkward pause, he is introduced to the guests after an awkward pause as "Georgy Samsonovich Yasyunin, a neighbor." And this is true, because a person who cynically turns others into a means to achieve his goals is doomed to loneliness.

Aphorisms and sayings of famous people:

To whom the end is permitted, the means are also permitted. (Hermann Buzenbaum, Jesuit)
Some Jesuits say that every means is good, if only to achieve the goal. Not true! Not true! With feet defiled by the dirt of the road, it is unworthy to enter a clean temple. (I. S. Turgenev)
No end is so lofty as to justify the unworthy means to achieve it. (A. Einstein)
Let no one deviate a single step from the honest path under the plausible pretext that this is justified by a noble goal. Any beautiful goal can be achieved by honest means. And if not, then this goal is bad. (C. Dickens)
No person can be a means to another person's ends. (E. Fromm)
A purposeful person finds means, and when he cannot find them, he creates them. (W. Channing)
Happy is the one who has a goal and sees the meaning of life in it. (F. Schelling)
For a man who does not know which harbor he is heading for, no wind will be favorable. (Seneca)
If you are heading towards the goal and stop along the way to throw stones at every dog that barks at you, you will never reach the goal. (F. M. Dostoevsky)
When it seems to you that the goal is unattainable, do not change the goal - change your plan of action. (Confucius)
We must set ourselves tasks above our strength: firstly, because you never know them anyway, and secondly, because forces appear as you complete an unattainable task. (B. L. Pasternak)
If selfish well-being is the only goal of life, life quickly becomes aimless. (R. Rolland)

What are the questions to think about?

Why is it important to have a purpose in life?
Can a person live without a purpose?
What can lead to a lack of purpose in a person's life?
What is the danger of an aimless existence?
What helps a person achieve a goal?
Are there unattainable goals?
What is the difference between a dream and a goal?
Is it possible to judge a person by what goals he sets for himself?
What goal would bring satisfaction?
Can the end justify the means to achieve it?
When does achieving a goal not bring happiness?

Greetings to all! I propose to analyze one of the areas of the topics of the final essay of the 2017-2018 academic year - “Goals and Means”.

The following literary works are suitable for argumentation:

Mary Shelley "Frankenstein"
M. A. Bulgakov "Master and Margarita", "Heart of a Dog"
A. Azimov "Bicentennial Man", "I, Robot"
A. R. Belyaev "Professor Dowell's Head"
I. Goncharov "Oblomov"
Winston Groom "Forrest Gump"
Theodore Dreiser "The Financier"
J. Tolkien "The Lord of the Rings"
I. Ilf, E. Petrov "Twelve chairs"
N.V. Gogol "Overcoat", "Dead Souls"
M.Yu. Lermontov "A Hero of Our Time"
I.A. Bunin "The Gentleman from San Francisco"
O. Wilde "The Picture of Dorian Gray"
F. M. Dostoevsky "Crime and Punishment", "The Brothers Karamazov", "The Idiot"
I.S. Turgenev "Fathers and Sons"
D.S. Likhachev "Letters about the good and the beautiful" (sixth letter)
L.N. Tolstoy "War and Peace"
A. de Saint-Exupery "The Little Prince"
A.S. Pushkin "The Captain's Daughter"
M.A. Sholokhov "The Fate of Man"
E.I. Zamyatin "We"
V.P. Astafiev "Tsar-fish"

To prepare for this direction and practice writing essays, pay attention to the following quotes (you need to explain the meaning of the quote / agree or disagree with the statement of a famous person):

“If you want to achieve a goal, don't try to be subtle or smart. Use rough tricks. Hit the target right away. Come back and hit again. Then hit again - with the strongest blow from the shoulder ... ”(W. Churchill)
“There is always a peak that you strive to reach, and having reached it, you rush to the next one. This is the "thorny path". (M. Chevalier)
"The slowest person, if he does not lose sight of the goal, goes faster than the one who wanders aimlessly." (G. Lessing)
“In the concept of a person, it is laid down that his final goal should be unattainable, and his path to it should be endless.” (I. Fichte)
"Life is red only for those who strive for a constantly attainable, but never achievable goal." (I.P. Pavlov)
"No end is so lofty as to justify the unworthy means to achieve it." (A. Einstein)
“A mind that has no definite purpose is lost; to be everywhere is to be nowhere. (M. Montaigne)
"Man grows as his goals grow." (F. Schiller)
“Great minds set goals; other people follow their desires.” (V. Irving)
"Directness does not provide the shortest way to the goal". (S.E. Lets)
"Good is the enemy of excellence." (J. Collins)
“If people knew how much work my skill cost me, it would not seem like a miracle to them at all.” (Michelangelo)
"Find a purpose, resources will be found." (M. Gandhi)
“If you are heading towards the goal and stop along the way to throw stones at every dog that barks at you, then you will never reach the goal.” (F.M. Dostoevsky)
"When it seems to you that the goal is unattainable, do not change the goal - change your plan of action." (Confucius)