Autonomy

Question 1

autonomy

Answer 1

• indivual ppl have to figure out for themselves whats right or wrong
• bible isnt a revealed document but j a christian book

Question 2

fletcher

Answer 2

• rejects heteronomy as a form of legalism which don’t take situations into account.
• Fletcher proposes an Autonomous form of Christian ethics focused on Agape; is the principle of Christian selfless love.
• The importance of Agape in Christianity for Fletcher is drawn from Jesus saying that the
• ‘greatest commandment’ is to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’

Question 3

william barclay

Answer 3

• thought situation ethics had some validity but didnt fully agree w it
• argues situation ethics gives moral agents a dangerous amount of freedom
• for freedom to be good, love has to be perfect
• if theres no or not enough love then ‘freedom can become selfishness n even cruelty’
• if everyone was a saint then SE would be perfect
• john at robinson called SE ‘the only ethic for man come of age’
• but barclay argues mankind hasnt yet come of age n so ‘still needs the crutch n protection of law’

Question 4

Fletcher and Robinson would respond (influenced by Bonhoeffer)

Answer 4

• that humanity has ‘come of age’, however
• this means humanity has become more mature
• medieval n ancient time when humanity hadnt come of age, ppl in general were less educated n self controlling
• meant they needed fixed ridged clear rules to follow bc they couldnt be trusted to understand n act on nuances n complexities in how a rule could justifiably be bent if sistuation called for it
• but now ppl=more civilised to point granting them more autonomy will increase love w/out risking stability of society

Question 5

barclay disagree to fletcher n robinson

Answer 5

• thinks altough ppl might appear improved, if granted the freedom n power to do what they want they wont choose the loving thing theyll choose selfih or even cruel thing
• =classic argument that power corrupts
• echoes debate about extent to which human nature=corrupt such as by og sin
• in psychology like standford prison experiment n literature like lord of the flies
• its well known feature of human psych that power=corrupting
• freedom to decide whats good/bad w/out external supervision of legalistic laws grants humans more power=corrupts them

Question 6

love (agape) as only principle

Answer 6

• key in jesus teaching n NT
• jesus- ‘love thy neighbour’ n eachother/god as much as themselves
• love enemies n do good to them
• 1 corinthians 13-paul spells out nature of christian love
• 1 john 4:8- ppl who dont love cannot know god bc god=love

Question 7

bultmann on agape

Answer 7

• pointed out that christians r challenged not only to be kind to others but to forgive wrongs
• christian moral behaviour shouldnt be about laws n being judgemental but should focus on gods forgiveness

Question 8

agape love

tillich
protestant

Answer 8

• christians shud use 3 ethical principles:
  1. justice
  2. love
  3. wisdom
• love=most important
• criticised ‘moral puritanism’ for being too closely tied to fixed rules n argued for love guided by wisdom as a person centred appr to ethics
• ppl shouldnt feel compelled to follow traditional laws unconditionally
• ultimate authority= christians own decision n traditions shud be considered but need to be interpretetd w love for acc ppl involved in moral sistuation
• it influenced fletcher- advocates using agape as guiding moral law in SE

Question 9

fletchers
4 working principles

Answer 9

1. pragmatism: what should be done to be most loving. each moral issue is judged against the command of love.
2. positivism: the idea that religious laws are not god-given, but human.
3. personalism: considers that humans should be treated as people because god is personal and people are made in his image. they should never be means to an end.
4. realitivism: there r no absolute duties which make people less important than rules. it only comes into play when its ‘relative to something’ n that=is love.

Question 10

sufficiency of love

Answer 10

• some argue jesus’ teachings promote more than love alone
• the som doesnt dispense law but guide us on how to fulfil it
• its not enough to summarise christian values as love bc they have to be grounded in narrative that considers human nature, forgiveness, redemption, afterlife n community

Question 11

fletcher criticism from traditional christian ethics

Answer 11

• his theory cant be properly considered christian bc it only follows love n ignores must bible teaching
• eg protestants following luther believe in ethical judgement we should only follow the bibles teachings
• this view= ‘sola scriptura’ =’bible alone’ is source of moral authority not autonmous indivual deciding demands of agape in their situation

Question 12

fletcher response w his liberal view of bible to christian criticism about sola scriptura

Answer 12

• he argues traditional views of bible face dilemma of 2 possible approaches
  1. bible as needing interpretation from which rises issue of impossibility of deicing whose interpretation is correct. shows this w competing interpretations diff theolgians have made of SOM
  2. bible literally: eg ‘do not resist one who is evil’
• concluded bible shouldnt be thought of as legalistic ‘rules book’ n ethical teachings like those of SOM only offer ‘some paradigms or suggestions’
• makes his appr to bible liberal view of inspiration=not perfectly word of god
• so tho bible says many things r wrong he doesnt think they shud be viewed as unbreakable rules
• whatever maximises love=allowed