The Principle of Double Effect and Virtue Ethics: A Search for Complementarity in End-of-Life Decision Making

Uses two well-known case studies of patients in a persistent vegetative state to explore the problem of balancing the preservation of life against the desire to die peacefully with dignity. By insisting on preserving life one may breach the moral principle of non-malfeasance, while assisting the process of death breaches that of beneficence. The principle of double effect can help in decision making by laying down four conditions: the act or omission must be good or morally neutral; the agent must intend the good effect; the bad effect must not be pursued to bring about the good; and the good effect must outweigh the bad effect.