INSIGHT FROM VERITATIS SPLENDOR AND THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Sometimes, situations in life don’t fit in neat little boxes. There are times when a decision seems to bring about a good and bad effect. How do Catholics navigate such times and do the right thing? The Principle of Double Effect offers guidance to discern complex ethical situations where an action may have both positive and negative consequences.
Understanding the Principle of Double Effect
The Principle of Double Effect has four important conditions that must be met for an action to be morally permissible:
Example: A pregnant woman is diagnosed with cancer, and her doctors recommend chemotherapy to save her life. However, chemotherapy poses significant risks to the unborn child, potentially causing harm or even leading to miscarriage. Despite this, the woman and her doctors choose to proceed with the treatment, as it is necessary to combat the cancer.
1. The act must be good or morally neutral: The action itself cannot be inherently evil. As noted in the CCC (1754), “an evil action can never be justified, no matter the intended outcome.” Veritatis Splendor states, “Reason attests that there are objects of the human act which are by their nature ‘incapable of being ordered’ to God because they radically contradict the good of the person made in his image. These are the acts which, in the Church’s moral tradition, have been termed ‘intrinsically evil’” (VS 80). In the case of the pregnant woman, the desire is not to harm the baby but to cure the woman of cancer. Choosing to receive chemotherapy treatment is not intrinsically evil.
2. The intention must be to achieve the good effect: The person must only intend the good effect. Even if there is a chance of a negative outcome, it must not be the goal, and it must not be willed. CCC 1753 states, “Even a good act can be corrupted if performed with a bad intention.” In the example of the pregnant woman cancer, the desire is not to harm the baby but to cure the woman of cancer. The potential ill effect and consequences are not desired.
3. The good effect must not result from the bad effect: The good effect must not be directly related to a negative action. “The ends don’t justify the means.” The CCC and Veritatis Splendor stress that evil cannot be the means to a good end. In the example, the cancer is not cured because of harming the baby. The cancer may be cured because of the radiation that is being used.
4. There must be a proportionate reason to permit the bad effect: In sum, the good effect must outweigh the unintended bad effect. The Catechism (CCC 1754) states, “While circumstances can increase or decrease the moral weight of an action, they cannot make an intrinsically evil act good.” In Veritatis Splendor, Pope St. John Paul II reiterates this by saying, “proportionate reasoning is necessary to maintain the dignity of human life and the moral order.” In the example of the pregnant mother, she are her baby both have infinite and intrinsic dignity and worth. The desire is to save the mother’s life, which is an ethical reason.
The Principle of Double Effect plays a crucial role in Catholic moral theology, ensuring that actions are carefully evaluated according to the above conditions. Daily examples of the principle of double effect include a police officer who goes to work knowing that he is putting his life in danger or a doctor working with patients with contagious diseases. In a world where life doesn’t always follow a straight path, it is comforting to know that there are guidelines for the best option to move forward morally.
Maria Stewart – SFA Theologians Guild Member