Associated with the ends justify the means philosophy of Utilitarianism, this doctrine encompasses the idea that certain acts that we might normally consider to be inherently immoral actually become virtuous when the benefit gained by committing them is proportionally larger than the harm being done. In recent years, some animal advocates have involved themselves in promoting the consumption of "humane" animal products, with the rationale that this activity, formerly considered by them to be immoral, becomes virtuous when it is done with the intent of displacing one form of animal abuse with a "kinder, gentler" form of that same abuse. For more information, see "Invasion of the Movement Snatchers: A social justice cause falls prey to the Doctrine of Necessary Evil."
