Crooked Timber has an article on the doctrine of double effect in light of the situation in Gaza. Israel justifies its actions which kill civilians as unintentional. To what degree does the fact that bad consequences may be unintentional exclude the perpetrator from blame? To some degree it must do, since it seems unjust to criticise someone for something they did not intend. But, if it is obvious that doing something will lead to bad consequences then carrying it out does seem blameworthy. The issues are tough enough when dealing with the actions of individuals. When dealing with the actions of state and non-state actors it is even trickier. It does strike me, though, that the doctrine of double effect needs to be married with the probability of something happening. Even if you don't intend something, you should bear in mind the probability of it happening when you undertake an action.
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