"Outcomes matter, not intentions." Outcomes matter. Of course outcomes matter. But that can't be a complete moral reasoning. Intentions do matter in all things

"Outcomes matter, not intentions." Outcomes matter. Of course outcomes matter. But that can't be a complete moral reasoning. Intentions do matter in all things. Intentions are the difference between murder one and a forgivable accident. It's the difference between putting a knife in your wife's back because she cheated on you and swinging around in the kitchen too fast and putting that same knife in her gut by accident. Intentions tell me what to expect about your future behavior. Intentions, in other words, reveal something important about the actor (and, therefore, future outcomes) that outcomes don't. Of course outcomes matter. But when we stop caring about intentions, we start thinking of murderers like remorseful spouses, or, say, genuine racists like tasteless jokers. The idea that only outcomes matter has far too much currency in our current politics.