Case Analyses, B&R Ch. 9

Review the material from Chapter 9, especially the 4 conditions of the Doctrine of Double Effect.
Below are 4 ethically-loaded cases. For each case (so, 4 times total):
1. In 1-3 sentences, describe the act being performed (in a little more detail than I have in 1.1-1.4), and determine whether or not the act violates a moral principle or natural function. Remember that the act is distinct from the good and bad effects (2) and the intentions (3), so don’t talk about these yet.
1.1. In case one, the act is giving morphine to an elderly cancer patient.
1.2. In case two, the act is natural family planning.
1.3. In case three, assume the act is the bombing of the Amiriya Shelter.
1.4. In case four, the act is the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube.
1.5. “In the case of whatever, a student is skipping class on a whim. The student is a human being with a mind, and so has the natural function of learning and acquiring knowledge.
The natural function of the mind is violated by skipping class on a whim.”
2. In 3-5 sentences, describe the act’s double effect, or the good and the bad effects. Then:
2.1. Determine whether or not the good effect is “at least as great as,” or “greater than or equal to,” the bad effect – does the good effect outweigh the bad effect?
2.2. Determine whether or not the bad effect is the means for, or cause of, the good effect – was the bad effect necessary in order to have the good effect?
2.3. “The good effect of skipping class on a whim is that it frees up the entire afternoon for more exciting activities. The bad effect of skipping class on a whim is that the student will miss learning the class content. The free afternoon does not seem as great or significant as the missed content because free afternoon activities (e.g., napping or gaming) are generally not at all productive. However, missing class content does not by itself cause the free afternoon – it’s just an unfortunate side effect of skipping class.

3. In 1-3 sentences, describe the intention behind the act – why was the act being performed? If there isn’t enough information to describe the intention, then tell me what you think the intention might have been. Then determine whether or not the intention was only for the good effect and not for the bad effect.
3.1. “The intention behind skipping class on a whim is that the student simply did not want to be in class that afternoon. The student likely intended only to have a free afternoon, but did not necessarily intend to miss class content. They could have expected to miss class content by skipping class, but this does not mean that they intended or wanted to miss class content.
4. In 1-2 sentences, conclude by determining whether the act is right or wrong according to the doctrine of double effect.
4.1. The act of skipping class on a whim is wrong according to the doctrine of double effect because the act itself violates the natural function of the mind to learn and acquire knowledge, and because the good effect of the free afternoon does not outweigh the bad effect of missing class content. For these two reasons, one should not skip class on a whim.

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