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Indirect Voluntariness and The Principle of Double Effect - Evangelista - RR22

The document provides two examples analyzing whether the principle of double effect was violated. The first example describes a situation where a retired soldier suffering from PTSD was shot and killed by police at a checkpoint. This violated the principle of double effect because killing a person is inherently evil, the police officer's intention seemed to be killing the victim, and they did not show sympathy after shooting him. The second example describes a pregnant woman who needed emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. This did not violate the principle of double effect because terminating a dangerous ectopic pregnancy to save the mother's life is not inherently evil, it was the immediate response needed to avoid risk to the mother, and the doctor's intention was exclusively to

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Gabrielle Evangelista
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87 views2 pages

Indirect Voluntariness and The Principle of Double Effect - Evangelista - RR22

The document provides two examples analyzing whether the principle of double effect was violated. The first example describes a situation where a retired soldier suffering from PTSD was shot and killed by police at a checkpoint. This violated the principle of double effect because killing a person is inherently evil, the police officer's intention seemed to be killing the victim, and they did not show sympathy after shooting him. The second example describes a pregnant woman who needed emergency surgery for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. This did not violate the principle of double effect because terminating a dangerous ectopic pregnancy to save the mother's life is not inherently evil, it was the immediate response needed to avoid risk to the mother, and the doctor's intention was exclusively to

Uploaded by

Gabrielle Evangelista
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Gabrielle Angela B.

Evangelista RR22
PHIS102
Indirect Voluntariness and The Principle of Double Effect

Exercise 1: Provide and example of an act that violates the principle of double effect.
Situation:
(I would take this as an example because it became a talk of the town last April 24,2020)
Winston Ragos, retired soldier suffering from post-traumatic syndrome who allegedly
violated the Enhanced Community Quarantine protocols was shot last April 24, 2020 by Police
Sergeant Daniel Florendo. The police claimed that the victim has a gun on his bag and was
about to shoot him after a shouting match near the checkpoint at Barangay Pasong Putik in QC.
However, a witness said that the victim did not have a gun inside his bag and only carried
his quarantine pass. Another said that the police on site was warned that the victim was not in the
right state of mind and asked them to stand down, but to no avail.
The victim’s mother said that her 34-year-old son had been suffering from post-traumatic
stress syndrome and had been dealing with some mental health problems.
Human Act: Shooting a person
Good Effect: After assuming that the victim has a gun, the police officer shot him to stop him
from causing greater casualties to the police and the citizens around them
Bad Effect: The police officer shot the retired soldier twice that led to the victim’s death
disregarding the fact that the latter is experiencing mental health problems.
Conditions that were violated:
1. When the act which has two effects is not in itself an evil act;
 Killing a person is an evil act in itself
2. When the evil effect does not come before the good effect so as to be a means to it;
 The police officer indeed shows clear intention to kill the victim because he shot
him twice, if not, he could have at least showed sympathy by giving a warning
shot first or shot the victim on non-vital areas
3. When there exists a reason, proportionately weighty, which calls for the good effect;
 The police only assume that the victim has a gun inside his bag. The victim raised
his hands which is a sign of surrendering, but despite of that he was still shot.
4. When the agent (that is, the doer or performer of the act) intends the good effect
exclusively and merely permits the evil effect as a regrettable side-issue.
 The agent’s intention is invalid because he made sure that the victim would die
and according to the reports from the scene, the victim was left there to die. The
police didn’t show any sympathy to rush the victim to the hospital.
Exercise 2: Provide an example of an act that does not violate the principle of double effect.
Situation:
Bailey Cheshire is a 29-year-old pregnant woman who felt sudden, severe abdominal or
pelvic pain after taking a shot of vaccine. On the same day, she felt pain in the lower back with
vaginal bleeding. Today, she looked pale and experienced pain in shoulders. She was rushed to
the hospital was diagnosed that she’s having a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. She was scheduled
for an emergent surgery to terminate the pregnancy.
Human Act: Termination of Pregnancy
Good Effect: Save the mother’s life
Bad Effect: End the fetus development and its life
None of these conditions were violated:
1. When the act which has two effects is not in itself an evil act;
 Termination of pregnancy is not in itself an evil act especially when the situation
calls for it.
2. When the evil effect does not come before the good effect so as to be a means to it;
 In cases of ectopic pregnancy, emergency surgery is the immediate response in
order to avoid further problem and danger to the mother if the pregnancy will
progress.
3. When there exists a reason, proportionately weighty, which calls for the good effect;
 Ectopic pregnancy means that the pregnancy happened outside the uterus. Uterus
is the only safe site to have pregnancy. Pregnancy out of it is dangerous and must
not be continued.
4. When the agent (that is, the doer or performer of the act) intends the good effect
exclusively and merely permits the evil effect as a regrettable side-issue.
 Doctors only wants the best for all their clients so the termination of pregnancy,
even if it will end the fetus’ life, is the best choice to save the mother’s life.

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