doctrine of double effect

The doctrine of double effect is an ethical principle that distinguishes between an intended outcome and a foreseen but unintended consequence of an action. It suggests that an action with both good and bad effects may be permissible if the bad effect is not directly intended, but is merely foreseen. This doctrine is often explored through thought experiments like the trolley problem, which examines moral intuitions about causing harm versus allowing harm.12

For example, removing a cancerous uterus from a pregnant woman, which foreseeably results in the death of the fetus, is considered permissible under this doctrine because the fetus's death is an indirect side effect, not the direct aim. However, directly killing the fetus to save the mother would be prohibited. The doctrine helps differentiate situations where causing a foreseen death is morally acceptable from those where it is not.31