Double effect principle

Double Effect Principle

The Double Effect Principle is a concept in ethics and moral philosophy that is used to evaluate the permissibility of an action that causes a serious harm as a side effect of promoting some good end. This principle is often invoked in the context of medical ethics, particularly in situations where a treatment intended to relieve pain or suffering may also hasten death.

Historical Background

The Double Effect Principle has its roots in the moral theology of Thomas Aquinas, a 13th-century philosopher and theologian. Aquinas articulated this principle in his work Summa Theologica while discussing the permissibility of self-defense. He argued that it is morally permissible to defend oneself even if it results in the death of the aggressor, provided the death was not the intended outcome.

Conditions of the Double Effect Principle

The Double Effect Principle is typically applied under four conditions:

1.The Nature of the Act: The action itself must be morally good or at least indifferent. It cannot be intrinsically evil.

2.The Intention: The agent must intend only the good effect and not the bad effect, even though the bad effect may be foreseen.

3.The Means-End Condition: The bad effect must not be the means of achieving the good effect.

4.The Proportionality Condition: There must be a proportionately grave reason for permitting the bad effect.

Applications in Medical Ethics

In medical ethics, the Double Effect Principle is often applied in end-of-life care. For example, administering high doses of opioids to relieve severe pain in a terminally ill patient may also depress respiration and hasten death. According to the Double Effect Principle, this is permissible if the intention is to alleviate pain, not to cause death, and if the relief of pain is proportionate to the risk of hastening death.

Criticisms and Controversies

The Double Effect Principle has been subject to various criticisms. Some argue that it can be difficult to determine the true intention of the agent, and others question whether the distinction between intended and foreseen consequences is morally significant. Additionally, the principle may be seen as allowing actions that are too permissive or too restrictive, depending on the interpretation of its conditions.

Also see

• Medical ethics
• End-of-life care
• Palliative care
• Thomas Aquinas
• Moral philosophy

References

• Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica.
• Beauchamp, Tom L., and James F. Childress. Principles of Biomedical Ethics.
• McIntyre, Alison. "Doctrine of Double Effect", Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.