Is The Doctrine Of Double Effect Plausible??
When pondering the questions that arise in a situation where Euthanasia is concerned, a question that must be considered is: Can one do something that one knows will have a certain consequence without intending to produce that certain consequence? When studying the doctrine of Double Effects, the answer becomes more and more apparent. The doctrine of Double Effects states that an action having both good and bad effects is plausible and permissible if the following two conditions are adequately served: 1) the bad effect is not intended in the certain situation as being the means or as the end, and 2) the good effect outweighs the bad effect. In the situation of euthanasia, or in any situation where there can be both good effects and bad effects, the first condition deems itself as extremely important. In the euthanasia case, the first condition states that death is not an intended result of the actions that are incurred. Therefore, it does seem plausible that, for example, a person who
