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DEFENDING DOUBLE EFFECT
Author(s) -
Wedgwood Ralph
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
ratio
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.475
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1467-9329
pISSN - 0034-0006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9329.2011.00508.x
Subject(s) - doctrine , closeness , law and economics , state (computer science) , law , face (sociological concept) , unintended consequences , political science , principle of double effect , philosophy , epistemology , sociology , computer science , mathematics , mathematical analysis , linguistics , algorithm
This essay defends a version of the Doctrine of Double Effect (DDE) – the doctrine that there is normally a stronger reason against an act that has a bad state of affairs as one of its intended effects than against an otherwise similar act that has that bad state of affairs as an unintended effect. First, a precise account of this version of the DDE is given. Secondly, some suggestions are made about why we should believe the DDE, and about why it is true. Finally, a solution is developed to the so‐called ‘closeness problem’ that any version of the DDE must face.