What is the Principle of Double Effect in Catholic bioethics and moral decisions?
The Principle of Double Effect is a crucial moral tool used when a single action has two foreseeable effects: one good and intended, and one bad and unintended. An action is morally permissible under double effect only if four strict conditions are met: 1) The act itself must be morally good or indifferent; 2) The good effect must be intended, while the bad effect is merely tolerated or foreseen; 3) The good effect cannot be achieved by means of the bad effect; and 4) There must be a proportionately serious reason for permitting the bad effect (e.g., removing a cancerous uterus to save a mother's life).
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2263-2267
- Romans 3:8
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.