stand to

[Silverobama]

Hi,

What does the "stand to" mean in this sentence?

Just as there can be culpable omissions,so too can there be blameless acts .Sppose-to take an example from the moral philisophy books -that a man stands to gain from the death of a certain child .The man sits down and watches him drown.The fact that the man has performed no action does not excuse him.Similarly,suppose that a doctor does no wrong by withholding some treatment in order that death should come sooner rather than later .Is he then necessarily wrong if he administers enough painkillers to kill?Does the fact that the doctor performed an action,tather than an omission,condemn him?

Here is the source.

Thanks a lot

[Tdol]

It means that the man is in a position to gain something if the child dies.