Module 5: Principle of Double Effect

Ryleigh Richard

Guiding Principle: Honesty

Action: Keep Andre

Reasoning:
As the coach of the team and left to the difficult decision of whether to keep Andre
or to replace him with Stewart, my guiding principle I would use would be honesty.
As a virtue that is upheld in society, and one that we instil in our students, it is
important to be honest with Stewart. With the guiding principle of honesty, I would
(with sensitivity) inform Stewart that although he did not make the team, he would
have been the next one who made it on the team. It is important to note and remind
Stewart that he is an exceedingly strong player, and if he chooses to continue
practicing and tries out the following year, he has a strong chance of succeeding, as
there are graduating students on this years team. I would inform Stewart that
although he would make a good candidate for the team, it would be unfair to give
him the spot of another deserving player. There are always opportunities to be a
part of the team aside from being a player, as well as being called up due to injury or
grades. If I were to cut Andre from the team, there are issues of confidentiality,
where I would be unable to tell Andre the reason he was cut from the team. If I am
following the guiding principle of honesty, I would not be able to truly uphold it.

This decision could be justified using the application of double effect. The New
Catholic Encyclopaedia provides four conditions:

1. The act itself must be morally good or at least indifferent.

 Yes this act is morally good- I am being honest with Stewart, and not cutting
another student due to this.
2. The agent may not positively will the bad effect but may permit it. If he could
attain the good effect without the bad effect he should do so. The bad effect is
sometimes said to be indirectly voluntary.
 There is no bad effects willed upon Stewart from myself, the coach; there is
no desire for Stewart to suffer more.
3. The good effect must flow from the action at least as immediately (in the
order of causality, though not necessarily in the order of time) as the bad
effect. In other words, the good effect must be produced directly by the
action, not by the bad effect. Otherwise the agent would be using a bad means
to a good end, which is never allowed.
 Choosing all students who were completely deserving of making the team
would show the team that honesty and integrity were used when choosing
the team immediately; all students who made the team were equally
deserving.
4. The good effect must be sufficiently desirable to compensate for the allowing
of the bad effect
  Having the team chosen completely by skill would show my integrity and
honesty as a teacher, as well as a coach, and would allow the students and
teachers to respect my decision of keeping Andre on the team. I would hope
that Stewart would appreciate the honesty given, and take it as a chance to
work towards next year.

Based on the above questions from the application of double effect, I do believe that
the best decision to make is to keep Andre on the team, which results in the double
effect not applying. As indicated through my reasoning, I believe I have shown that I
uphold the belief that all lives matter (Andre is not replaced on the team, and
Stewart is honestly debriefed, and strongly advised to keep working. No one person
is held higher than another in terms of consideration on the team; the team was
chosen based on skill), therefore, the principle of double effect would not apply
here.