2. SE : The six Propositions

Question 1

Proposition 1 .

Answer 1

(I)

1. 1. ‘only one thing is INTRINSICALLY good; namely love’ Actions aren’t intrinsically good or evil, they are good or evil depending on whether they promote the most loving consequences

Question 2

Proposition 2

Answer 2

(R)

2. ‘the RULING norm of Christian decision is love’ Love replaces law, e.g. Jesus healing (work) on the Sabbath day

Question 3

Proposition 3

Answer 3

(J)

3. ‘love and JUSTICE are the same for JUSTICE is love distributed’
   justice is love at work in the whole community for the whole community

Question 4

Proposition 4

Answer 4

(N)

4. ‘Love wills the NEIGHBOURS good whether we like him or not’
   This is new Testament Agape love,
   your neighbour is anyone and agape is unconditional.

Question 5

Way to remember the 6 propositions

Answer 5

I Really Just Need Good D

Question 6

Proposition 5

Answer 6

(G)

5. Love is the end GOAL that justifies any means to achieve that goal
   ‘Only the end justifies the means, nothing else’

For Fletcher, the end must be a loving result - must consider the desired end, the means available, the motive for acting and the foreseeable consequences.

Question 7

Proposition 6

Answer 7

(D)

6. ‘Love’s decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively’
   Whether something is wrong or right depends on the situation. Fletcher believes that it is not wrong to have sexual relations outside of marriage unless they hurt themselves or their partners.

Question 8

What are they and how do they give rise to the theory of situation ethics and its approach to moral decision making

Answer 8

The six propositions of situation ethics outline the foundational ideas that give rise to the theory of situation ethics and its approach to moral decision-making.

These propositions, put forward by Joseph Fletcher, provide the framework for understanding how situation ethics diverges from traditional ethical systems.

These six propositions collectively form the basis of situation ethics. They promote a flexible, context-dependent, and love-centered approach as the ultimate moral imperatives.