The Doctrine Of Double Effect

The Doctrine Of Double Effect The Doctrine of Double Effect The principle of double effect also called the doctrine of double effect normally applied in the medicine, palliative care and war fields is always invoked in order to explain the permission to carry out an action that can cause serious harm. The harm in this case may include the death in human beings as a result of the side effects otherwise with the aim of promoting some good. This doctrine affirms that at times it may be permissible to cause harm as side effect to arrive at a desirable result. However it becomes necessary to understand that it is not permissible to cause such harm so as to arrive at the same good end Thomas Aquinas coined this principle during his discussion of the permissibility of self defense. Aquinas observed that nothing hinders one act from having two effects only one of which is intended whereas the other is besides the intention. There are four conditions tied to the application of this principle: The act must be morally good or else indifferent. In other words the good result should be achievable apart from the bad one The good effect must be derived from the action immediately just as the bad effect. This implies that the desirable or good effect is produced directly by the action not by the bad effect. The good effect should be proved sufficiently desirable as compensation for allowing the bad effect The agent who in this case may be the practitioner of the principle should not positively will the bad effect but may permit it. In other words the bad effect here is considered as an indirectly voluntary happening. Administering a vaccine for example will definitely save many lives. However a few people get sick and even die from the vaccines side effects. The vaccine manufacturer and agent who administer the vaccine are morally discharged. This is because lives are saved because of the vaccination and not as a result of the fatalities resulting from the side effects. The fatalities as a result of the vaccine do not advance any objectives of the agents and therefore is not intended as a means to an end. The number of lives saved by the vaccine is much greater than the numbers who die from the side effects satisfying the proportionality condition legitimizing this principle. In order to understand if this principle provides a sound basis to make a distinction between intentional and unintentional actions for which we are morally responsible or not we need to summarize the conditions under which the principle of double effect would be considered ethically legitimate and these are that: The act being performed is not itself morally evil. Using the vaccine example we can point out that the manufacturers or administrators of the same (agents) are not performing a morally evil act. The good effect in this case of the vaccine example is to save lives and is not as a result of the evil effect the fatalities resulting from the vaccines side effects. Only the good effects in this case the saving of lives through body immunity enhancement by the vaccine is directly intended, the bad effects which would be the death due to side effects of the vaccine is not intended but tolerated or unavoidable. There is due proportion between good which is the total number of people who benefit by boosting their immunity through the vaccine and the bad effects which is the small proportion of people who succumb to the vaccines side effects. Considering palliative care and medical cases this principle provides a sound basis for making a distinction. According to Dr. Taboada we have to understand that a moral act does not merely consist of a physical performance. There is the moral species of the act that we must consider as well. The moral species of the act can be analyzed by asking the question what are you doing? An appropriate answer that can be backed by this principle of double effect would reveal an intrinsic intentionality of the moral act. Using the case of palliative care where an agent such as a doctor uses morphine to relieve pain in terminally ill patients to elaborate this fact we would have a more accurate answer to the moral species act question what are you doing ? as relieving pain. This answer reveals the intrinsic intentionality of the moral act. Dr. Taboada further points out that ethical experiences are determined by the moral species of the act which in essence is the kind of act we perform. There can be proved a relationship between an agents motivation and the moral character of the given action. Therefore the intrinsic intentionality of the act itself and the intention of the agent are not the same thing as elaborated by Dr. Taboada and hence they must be carefully distinguished. Further still ethical character of our actions do not primarily depend on motivation or intention of the agent as such but on the moral species of the action performed. Thus the principle of double effect intends to secure this distinction as a necessary condition for ethical legitimacy to be established and our actions respected. Therefore in carrying out actions that can easily invoke a moral debate it is necessary to clearly understand the doctrine of double effect and legitimize each of these actions based on the conditions that have suggested by Michael Walzer. In order to legitimize the action to take we may also consider the Sulmasy test especially so if this action is confined within the medical field. Daniel Sulmasy in this test challenges the medical practitioners to ask themselves this question if the patient were not to die after my actions would I feel that I had failed to accomplish what I had set out to do? The problems that arise from the principle of double effect can effectively be handled while considering the contributions of people like Dr. Taboada who points out that an actions anatomy which distinguishes the action from the intention must be always considered. This draws us to a very important conclusion that will require the application of the doctrine of double effect to effectively ad dress that is the distinguishing of intrinsic intentionality of an act and the intention of the agent. With this in mind we can effectively conclude that the principle of double effect provides a sound basis for making a distinction between intentional effects of our actions for which we are morally responsible and the unintentional effects of the actions for which we are not morally responsible.

Educational Goals and Philosophy Essay -- Education Teaching Teachers

Educational Goals and Philosophy As a child, playing â€Å"school† occupied most of my time. My younger sister and I taught a bedroom full of stuffed animals and filled in imaginary names in our old school books. From the bad bears and loud bunnies to the good puppies and smart kittens, each stuffed animal possessed his or her own personality. The thought of teaching never entered into my mind when I was asked, â€Å"What do you want to be when you grow up?† Uncertain about the career field that I desired to pursue, my decisions depended upon the topics that held my interest at the time. Paleontology was the first career I decided on, then marine biology. In high school, it was mandatory that I select a career cluster in which to expand my knowledge; I chose architecture and interior design. Up until my senior year of high school, my educational goal for the future consisted of attending an architecture program at a college or university, but my mind was changed again when I developed a senior research paper and project. The topic of my paper and project was â€Å"ministry,† giving me the opportunity to teach the youth group at church and help with the younger kids during a worship service. My youth minister taught me a few teaching techniques and strategies that also broadened my interest i n teaching. Numerous experiences have influenced my decision to become a teacher. One summer I was privileged to get to go to Myrtle Beach and lead a backyard bible school for Pre-K and K aged kids at a family campground. Crating unique ways of teaching kindergarten kids with short attention spans challenges the teacher, forcing me to use my imagination. In search of opening up a Canadian child who... ...the future students are different from earlier ones. In today's classroom, kids can operate a computer while their teachers cannot, thus limiting computer access learning for students. Although they are unfamiliar with computers, many teachers are learning from their students, and are using online services to expand the learning process in the classroom. Another article explained that many of today's schools are requiring computer certification for their teachers. If teachers cannot keep up with the technology that kids are "playing" with, they will not be able to effectively teach the children of tomorrow's generation. Teaching is not just about Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic; it is the desire to make a difference in at least one child's life. By giving a child a chance at life, a teacher is giving the world a chance to become a better place.

Mcdonald’s Business Type and Purpose Essay

McDonald’s was invented in the year 1940 and has currently about 34 000 restaurants in the whole world. Since McDonald’s was found they established loads of shops especially in Europe and America. McDonald’s is obviously a private company and is owned by a head of shareholders. It was found by Richard and Maurice McDonald’s and until today they don’t get any support by the government. Today, the company is leaded by Andrew J McKenna as chairman and Don Thompson as president and CEO of the organisation. These people are the main decision makers within McDonald’s organisational structure. This business is one of the main fast food companies in the world. This means they produce food, but get supplied by several other businesses. They are settled in the secondary and tertiary sector, cause they’re not actually producing each part of the food they sell, but they do combine products to another saleable product. McDonald’s is combining supplier’s goods to actual fast food products and I selling them. Therefore they’re settled in the restaurant sector. McDonald’s is a franchise and public limited company. Franchising a business means that the company, even though it is owned by a head of directors, they sell several shops to private people, who pay for using the companies name and selling the whole menu of this business. They still have restaurants which are actually controlled and managed by the McDonald’s company, but even the shops the franchised, they still own and control the actions and on- goings in each shop and restaurant. By franchising the companies name they give people, who want to be independent, the opportunity to find a quick start into the worlds market of restaurants. Loads of small business fail to get widely accepted and fail to make their name famous. McDonald’s is a name the public trust and it’s much easier to sell the services and goods. Independent managers of a franchised shop don’t just have to pay for using products and names, but have to stick to the companies rules and can’t produce or establish other products. Usually the franchisees are limited responsible and have limited liability for the on- goings in their shops. They are partly responsible for mistakes their employees do, but there are main subjects which lie completely on the actual business and their directeurs, McDonald’s. McDonald’s is basically raising money by selling produced fast food products and fro example franchise contracts. The owner of any franchise organisation earns money from each franchised shop. They get a fixed percentage of the income of each shop and McDonald’s gets paid for allowing other people to use their name and produce their products. Public limited company means that the organisation is owned and controlled by shareholders. They have a limited liability, because the concept of them is it to sell shares of the company. Therefore they’re no longer unlimited responsible for all their shops. They raise money by selling their shares, because the private people who buy them are able to use the product and the name of the company for their shop. In addition they raise funds by selling their products to costumers. They get profits from each franchised shop and obviously from the shops which are actually owned by McDonald’s. The profits are shared between the shareholders and the owners of the company. The percentage is fixed in a contract.

The Cask Of Amontillado By Edgar Allen Poe - 1052 Words

Edgar Allen Poe was one of the most famed authors of death, decay, and depression in the 18th century. Poe started his writing career during the Romantic literature period, a period focused on nature, emotions, and a fascination with the supernatural elements. As writers started to write in this new genre, works started becoming dark, with an eerie feeling and a tone of death. Out of the Romantic era came the sub-classification of the Gothic genre. Poe started to embrace this new genre and his writings started to become more and more mysterious. In The Cask of Amontillado, the Gothic genre is easily depicted through the eyes of the main character, Montresor. The Cask of Amontillado is a perfect example of a short story in the Gothic genre†¦show more content†¦The Raven, The Tell-Tale, and especially The Cask of Amontillado exist as proof of Poe s exemplary grasp on this new genre. In the short story The Cask of Amontillado, the Gothic genre is first expressed by the old, de caying, haunted manor which the main character Montresor lives; the constant portrayal of death and the theme of being buried alive help set the Gothic genre in all its supernatural glory. The setting is very expressive of revenge and how it can overpower a person. The tale relates to two acquaintances, once to be depicted as friends, but through a prided relationship of ingenuine respect. Montresor had bleak motifs to discontinue the friendship to end on a one-up, as they dealt with competitive pride. Montresor wants revenge to the point of death for his friend and is on the brink of insanity, I must not only punish but punish with impunity. He will do anything to make sure that Fortunado pays for what has been done to him, even if death is the solution. Another look into the Gothic genre is when we find out that Montresor is enjoying his grotesque imaginings, I continued to smile in his face, and he did not understand that I was not smiling at the thought of what I had planned for him, at the thought of my revenge. He wants his revenge on Fortunato and is willing to go as far as death. Montresor’s plan was well thought-out as he carried his inconspicuous trowel under his coat. He lured Fortunato in