Doctrine of Double Effect

The Doctrine of Double Effect is an ethical principle that says it’s sometimes acceptable to perform an action that has both good and harmful outcomes, but only if certain conditions are met. These include that the action itself is morally right or neutral, the harm is not intended but a side effect, the reason for the action is good, and there's no better way to achieve the good outcome. For example, administering pain relief to a terminal patient to ease suffering, even if it may hasten death, can be justified under this doctrine.