Abstract
The objective of this article is to introduce to social workers Principle of double effect; an ethical theory that attempts to seek morally correct decisions in situations in which two outcomes occur - one good and one bad. The authors intend to assess whether the double effect Principle is applicable as an instrument of moral decision making in social work practice.
The first part clarifies the double effect Principle theory as suggested by David Černý. The second part focuses on critical decomposition of this Principle and potential threats consequent to its one-sided interpretation.
The third part concentrates on practices and functions of social work. The authors employ two real life situations to assess whether it is feasible to apply the double effect Principle in practice, to simplify the moral decision making process of social workers.