Which ethical framework holds that an action with both a good and a bad effect is permissible if the actor intends only the good effect and the bad effect is merely foreseen as a side effect?

• A. Doctrine of double-effect
• B. Ethic of care
• C. Principle of beneficence
• D. Non-maleficence

Answer: (A)

Doctrine of double effect explains why an action with both good and bad outcomes can be morally permissible when the good outcome is intended, the bad outcome is foreseen but not intended, and the bad outcome is not the means by which the good outcome is achieved. It also requires that there be a proportional reason to permit the risk of harm and that the harm is not the method used to bring about the good. In practice, this means you may proceed with the act if your intention is the beneficial effect, you do not intend the harm, and the bad effect is merely foreseen as a side consequence. For example, providing strong pain relief to relieve suffering may unintentionally shorten life, but the intention is to relieve pain, not to hasten death. Other frameworks focus on different priorities: care ethics centers on relationships and responsiveness, beneficence on promoting good, and non-maleficence on avoiding harm. These do not authorize a morally permissible action solely because the bad effect is foreseen, which is why the Doctrine of double effect is the best fit here.