Comments on: Real action heroes don’t justify

By: West Point trolleyology | afoe | A Fistful of Euros | European Opinion

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:52:20 +0000

[...] blogged about the doctrine of double effect at the beginning of last year. It comes up just about any time there’s mention of the morality of [...]

By: Oliver

Oliver — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 11:04:59 +0000

On the other, you end up banning all foreign military ventures across the world.

You’d end up doing what you ban to ban what you are doing. The same goes for some government agency to control all violence.

The maintainance of public order and thus all government is possible only if the authority maintaining public order can make a credible threat of violence.

By: Charlie Whitaker

Charlie Whitaker — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:24:02 +0000

Personally, I quite like the idea of extending the remit of the Health & Safety Executive to include armed conflict. They already cover shootings.

By: michaelD

michaelD — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:20:49 +0000

The equation is more complicated when considering responsibility and authority issues. Using the bridge analogy, you (the government, whoever..) can weigh 3 construction workers against 10 people saved as ambulances get to the hospital faster because, presumably, you have some responsibility and authority for both issues. However, the question is more difficult if the prediction is 3 ‘enemy’ civilians against 10 of your soldiers – you have the responsibility for the 10 but don’t have the authority to make the call. And, it’s not likely that anybody with responsibility for the 3 will cede you any authority no matter who you ask.

On one side you can say Everything you do has side effects and not worry about unauthorized actions at all. We all become Good Shepherds. On the other, you end up banning all foreign military ventures across the world.

By: corneilius

corneilius — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:03:41 +0000

If, as is often the case, the Industrial Plant produces goods that cannot be broken down after use into particles that can be fully recycled, or waste that cannot be broken down or even produces goods that are purely consumer goods, for profit, then that plant should never get built.

And if the neighbours understand this they are correct in objecting….

Which is why Governments and ‘spokesmen’ use these tactics, to fob off intelligent questioning and to maintain control through ‘convincing’ those who are still (com)pliant enough to take media (bbc, papers, CNN etc etc) statements at face value.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:26:04 +0000

Everything you do has side effects. Even the aggregate of what you do has side effects. So why bemoan the inevitable?

In addition, the proposed solution is dangerous.
For example, always asking the neighbors, you will never build a new large industrial plant.

By: Liberating - Chicken Yoghurt

Liberating - Chicken Yoghurt — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:53:38 +0000

[...] some level, not least because it was our coalition partners who fired the missiles. It’s the double effect doctrine in action. The Israeli army’s action is more of a moral grey area (as Gordon Brown and his UN [...]

By: corneiliusa

corneiliusa — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:28:34 +0000

Very well written piece, exposes the cynical tactics used by politicians and celebrities to justify their actions.