O'Rourke K, deBlois J
Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, MO.
Kennedy Inst Ethics J. 1994 Mar;4(1):47-53. doi: 10.1353/ken.0.0093.
James Walsh and Moira McQueen accurately conclude that the early delivery of anencephalic fetuses is morally acceptable, but the reasoning they use to reach that conclusion is flawed. First, the principle of double effect does not require a weighing of good and evil, but rather seeks a sufficient reason for tolerating the physical evil indirectly intended. Second, the principle of double effect requires a clear distinction between physical and moral causality. Third, the Catholic moral tradition will not admit direct and intended killing of the innocent. Rather, early delivery of anencephalic fetuses is permissible because of the pathology associated with delivery of anencephalic fetuses at full term. Thus, the early delivery of an anencephalic infant is acceptable if the purpose of the moral act is avoiding a pathological condition on the part of the mother.
詹姆斯·沃尔什和莫伊拉·麦奎因准确地得出结论，即无脑儿的早产在道德上是可以接受的，但他们得出这一结论所采用的推理存在缺陷。首先，双重效果原则并不要求权衡善恶，而是寻求容忍间接意图的身体之恶的充分理由。其次，双重效果原则要求明确区分身体因果关系和道德因果关系。第三，天主教道德传统不会承认直接且故意杀害无辜之人。相反，无脑儿的早产是允许的，因为与足月分娩无脑儿相关的病理情况。因此，如果道德行为的目的是避免母亲出现病理状况，那么无脑儿的早产就是可以接受的。
