Ändamålen

ändamålen is the plural form of the Swedish noun ändamål, meaning aims, purposes, or ends. It denotes the intended outcomes of actions, plans, laws, or policies and is used in both everyday language and formal discourse.

Grammatically, ändamål is a compound noun formed from ändam- and mål; its definite plural form is ändamålen, and the indefinite plural is ändamål. The word commonly collocates with verbs such as uppnå (to achieve), fastställa (to determine), and vägledas av (to be guided by).

In ethics and political philosophy, discussions of ends and means revolve around how far the ends justify the means. The proverb ändamålen helgar medlen expresses a controversial view that the desired outcome legitimates the actions taken to achieve it. The phrase is frequently debated in academic and public discourse; many scholars caution against conflating mere aims with morals of the means.

In law and public administration, ändamål refers to the purposes of a law, regulation, or program. When interpreting the scope of a statute, courts may consider its stated ändamål to determine whether a proposed action is permitted or required. The term also appears in organizational planning, where specifying the grundläggande ändamål helps align resources and evaluation.