Keywords
Double-effect; bankruptcy; airline industry; cost-cutting; labor contracts; Thomas Aquinas; just war; business ethics; Catholic social teaching, law
Abstract
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, most legacy airlines filed for bankruptcy protection as a way to cut costs drastically, with the exception of American Airlines. This article applies the Principle of Double-Effect to the act of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for reasons of management strategy, in particular, cost-cutting. It argues that the Principle can be a useful tool for discerning the ethicality of the action, and demonstrates the usefulness by proposing three double-effect criteria that, when fulfilled, argues for the ethical justifiability the action in question.
Recommended Citation
Kuo, Henry S.
(2020)
"The Business of Double-Effect: The Ethics of Bankruptcy Protection and the Principle of Double-Effect,"
Journal of Religion and Business Ethics: Vol. 4, Article 11.
Available at:
https://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol4/iss1/11
