Not A Poll: Does Motivation Affect Morality?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

Let me re-phrase, since it seems I buggered up the point:  Is a particular action more or less moral because of the motivation of the actor?

Boru

No.

Fair enough.  Let's try another, more severe example.  Kindness to animals is considered (generally) a moral 'good'.  One man rescues the dogs from a dog-fighting ring, because his motivation is to rehabilitate the dogs as pets or service animals.  Another man rescues the dogs from a dog-fighting ring because he knows he can sell them to other dog fighters for a great deal of money.  Is the rescuing of both groups of dogs morally equivalent?

Boru