Moral Principle of Legitimate Cooperation with Evil

If we were to try to avoid any and all cooperation with evil we would be unable to act. Obviously such a goal is noble, but unreasonable. Moral reasoning guided by moral principles and enlightened by grace can guide us to choose the best possible good even when evil is unavoidable. One important guiding principle is the principle of legitimate cooperation with evil.

In an attempt to understand any principle, Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches us that the first step is to define our terms. Thanks to Sister Renee Mirkes, OSF, PhD for her guidance in writing this article. The definitions in this article are based on her work (Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System – Advanced Teaching Skills. Chapter 22: “Principle of Legitimate Cooperation: Applications”).

When you are performing an action that is intertwined with evil, you can use the following criteria to judge how legitimate your cooperation with the evil is

• The moral object of your action is good and you are operating out of good intentions.
• The evil is only tolerated as a side effect of your action
• Your cooperation is only material cooperation, not formal
• Your cooperation is remote rather than proximate so it causes minimal evil effects
• Your action does not cause scandal

Moral Object

The moral object of an action is the objective goal of the action. It is the good that you are trying to attain (or the evil you are trying to avoid) through the action, and how well the action is ordered toward that good.

Intention

The intention is the reasons why you choose to act. Your intention may coincide with your choice of the moral object, or you may have intentions beyond the simple object. For example, you may choose to give money to charity (the moral object to help those in need), but your intention may be to impress people with your generosity.

Legitimate

The term “legitimate” refers to moral acceptability, not the legal meaning of conforming to a set of standards and requirements to be acceptable.

Cooperation

Cooperation with evil as understood in the context of this principle does not mean working together in agreement with all aspects of the act. Rather, it means working together despite disagreement about the ends or means of the act. In other words, cooperation does not imply condoning the evil.

Wrongdoer and Cooperator

The wrongdoer is the party who initiated the wrongdoing, directly intending the specific evil. The cooperator is involved with the wrongdoing by means of some action that is distinct from the evil act initiated by the wrongdoer. The cooperator intends a specific good and only tolerates the evil as a necessary side effect.

Formal Cooperation

Formal cooperation occurs when the evil end or evil means are directly chosen by means of encouragement, praise, advice, or other forms of support.

Material Cooperation

Material cooperation occurs when the evil end and means are indirectly chosen by a person who has chosen a good end and good means. Material cooperation can be mediate or immediate. Mediate material cooperation is when the cooperator’s involvement is only contingent or accidental to the wrongdoing. In other words, the cooperation does not contribute to the perpetuation of the evil. Immediate material cooperation is when the cooperator’s involvement is necessary for the evil to continue. Immediate material cooperation is morally equivalent to formal cooperation. The best way to know if your cooperation is immediate is to ask yourself if the evil would cease if you did not cooperate in the act.

Proximate vs. Remote Cooperation

The moral proximity to evil is a measure of how contingent or mediate the cooperation would be to the evil. In other words, how much does the cooperator’s action contribute to the action? The closer the cooperation with the evil, the more likely the act is to cause evil results. Remote cooperation is preferable to proximate cooperation.

Proportionate Good

The good object that one chooses and intends when performing an action that cooperates with evil, and the good effects resulting from the action, should be at least as great as (morally proportionate to) the foreseen evil effects. This consideration can only be applied if the other conditions for legitimate cooperation are met.

Scandal

Scandal is when your actions or words create a temptation to sin for others. By observing your behavior, others may erroneously think that there is nothing wrong with the evil involved with the action. Even if you judge your action to be legitimate cooperation with evil, you should avoid performing it if there is likelihood of causing grave scandal.