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• The principle of double effect justifies certain actions that produce “indirectly” certain evil consequences, provided, at least, four conditions are met:

  1.    The action, by itself and independently of its effect, must not be morally evil;

  2.    The total effect must not be a means to produce the good effect;

  3.    The evil effect is sincerely not intended, but merely tolerated; and

  4.    There is a proportionate reason for performing the action, in spite of its evil consequences.
• The fourth condition of the principle of double effect mentions the importance of proportionate reason in performing a moral action.

       Proportionality is to be judged by:

  1.    The type of goodness or evil involved

  2.    The urgency of the situation

  3.    The certainty or probability of the effects

  4.    The intensity of one’s influence on the effects

  5.    The availability of alternate means
•    In the abstract a necessary good will outweigh a merely useful good.
•      In the concrete, necessity is influenced by the urgency of the situation.
• The certitude or probability of an effect must be considered since a serious harm which is only slightly probable can clearly be outweighed by an absolute right.
• The intensity of one’s influence must be considered since often something or someone else is the primary cause of the evil side effect.
• The availability of alternate means must be considered. If the sound effects can be obtained by a method which involves lesser evil or no harmful side effects, it would be irrational and, therefore, unethical not to choose the alternate means, all other things being equal
• The status quo is not a perpetual excuse for permitting evils that can be eliminated.