The doctrine of double effect claims that the first action is more morally objectionable than the second, all other things being equal.
The doctrine has practical applications, for example in just war theory, where the deliberate targeting of civilians to demoralise the enemy may be ruled out, but the bombing of munitions plants may be allowed, even if both actions cause the same number of deaths and end the war in the same length of time.
The doctrine is also relevant to certain medical cases. The administration of a high dosage of painkillers[?] is sometimes allowed for the relief of pain in cases of terminal illness[?], even when this will cause death as a side effect. Some hold that this is morally different from deliberate euthanasia for the relief of pain.
Despite some apparent plausibility, the doctrine of double effect is controversial. Utilitarians, in particular, reject the notion that 2 acts can differ in their permissibility, if both have the same consequences.
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