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Doctrine Of Double Effect Analysis

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In this essay I will argue that intentions, whether harm is intended or merely foreseen by an agent, do make a difference to the permissibility of an act. However, in addition to this, I believe that they are not the only factor that makes a difference when determining moral permissibility and as such cannot be its sole determinant. I will do this by first explaining what it is about intentions that academics have found so important when deciding whether or not an action is permissible. This will be followed by an examination and critique of arguments in support of intentions making a difference to permissibility, with specific reference to the Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE). From this, I will discuss why intentions do carry some weight, …show more content…
Before answering this question I would like to assess what it is about intention that appears to be so important in deciding whether or not an action is permissible. One of the key arguments supporting the relevance of intention to permissibility is that the intention of an agent determines what their action is. What an action is has relevance for its permissibility and as such, based upon this understanding, so do intentions (Scanlon, 2008).

The Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE) interprets the permissibility of actions by placing great importance on the intentions of actors. It is most often used to explain and justify the permissibility of actions with consequences, such as the causing of serious harm with the intention of good. The DDE discriminates in favour of agency that involves only foreseeing and not intending an objectionable outcome (Quinn, 1989) and is as such more likely to grant moral permissibility to an act where harm is merely foreseen rather than intended by the agent. The DDE states that bringing about bad effects, such as the deaths of innocent people, can be permissible so long as these effects are strictly not intended and are the unavoidable side effects of the pursuit of good ends (McMahan, 2009). In this sense it takes a consequentialist view that it is permissible to intend bad effects when such effects are a necessary means of producing the greatest good, for example, the killing of innocent civilians in order to bring about the good effect of bringing an end to a Just

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