Socialism, Means, Ends

Trotsky, in Their Morality and Ours, by asserting that an End itself needs further justification, seems unaware that it is therefore itself a Means to whatever justifies it.  Furthermore, that proposition, by itself, does not rule out the possibility of some other Means to that further End.  Thus, specifically, he is declaring that Socialism is a means to a non-exploitative society, without ruling out the possibility of some other system also being effective in that respect.  He also does not consider a positive conception of a non-exploitative society, e. g. a We.  In any case, as has been previously discussed, he clarifies one of the most important Moral questions confronting Marxism--whether or not violence is a permissible means--with a negative answer about which Marx-Engels' position can only be speculated, though with which his murderers are in obvious disagreement.