The End Justifies the Means – Ethical Analysis

In the context of the transformation of post-communist European countries, we consider teaching ethics in schools to be a perpetual and urgent task. One reason is life in an open society, which directly confronts one with a panorama of various, oftentimes contradictory ethical attitudes and moral bases. The axiologically and morally disoriented cultural environment of the V4 countries is currently faced with significant ethical challenges, which can only be overcome through a deeper analysis from the perspective of moral philosophy. International Student Assessment, PISA, have brought the most attention to problems with comprehensive reading among students in Slovakia. As a consequence, ethical formation of the young generation becomes much more difficult. This study presents an analysis of the well-known Machiavellian slogan in a broader ethical context with an ambition to join the discourse on the fundamentals of morality through presenting relevant stimuli and current arguments.