The Principle of Double Effect

The Principle of Double Effect is an ethical guideline used to evaluate actions with both good and bad outcomes. It states that an action with a positive intention that may also cause an unintended negative effect is permissible if four conditions are met: the action itself must be morally good or neutral, the bad effect must not be the means to achieve the good effect, the intention must be to achieve the good effect, and the good effect must outweigh the bad effect. This principle is often applied in moral dilemmas, such as in medical ethics.