What is the "double effect" principle used for?

The "double effect" principle is primarily utilized to justify actions that may cause harm under specific conditions, particularly in ethics and moral philosophy. This principle asserts that it can be permissible to cause a harmful effect if certain criteria are met: the action must be morally good or neutral, the intention behind the action must be to achieve a good result, the harmful effect must not be the means to the end, and the good outcome must outweigh the harm done.

In contexts such as medical ethics or warfare, this principle comes into play when evaluating decisions where unintended harm may occur while pursuing a morally acceptable goal, such as saving a life or achieving peace. It allows for complex moral reasoning in situations where the outcomes involve both benefits and harms.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of the double effect principle. While explaining the outcomes of morally good actions, evaluating fairness in ethical arguments, and determining legality may involve ethical considerations, they do not reflect the specific focus of the double effect on justifying actions that result in both good and bad effects.