Ethic Situation Ethics

Question 1

Joseph Fletcher

Answer 1

American Philosopher created the teleological ethical theory Situation Ethics

Question 2

Situation Ethics

Answer 2

ethics that takes into account the particular context of an act when evaluating it ethically, rather than judging it only according to absolute moral standards

Question 3

Agape love origins

Answer 3

Inspired by Jesus’ gospel message of love
; “Love thy neighbour as thyself”
“God is love”

Question 4

Agape Love

Answer 4

Unconditional love: doing what is best for the other person unconditionally

Question 5

Fletchers belief in three different ethics

Answer 5

Situation Ethics
Legalistic Ethics
Antinomian Ethics

Question 6

Legalistic Ethics

Answer 6

Has set of moral rules and regulations
Over-reliance on rules
Fletcher disagreed heavily on this form ethics
Believed it runs into several problems; he argued life complexities require additional laws

Question 7

Antinomian Ethics

Answer 7

Reverse of legalistic ethics
Means ‘no laws’
Has no ethical system
Decision-making very unique
Fletcher critical of this approach ; can result in anarchy

Question 8

Situation Ethics Four Working Principles

Answer 8

Fletcher believed there are FOUR PRINCIPLES that SITUATION ETHICS MAKES;
PRAGMATISM
RELATIVISM
POSITIVISM
PERSONALISM

Question 9

Situation Ethics Four Working Principles-PRAGMATISM

Answer 9

Moral actions must work or achieve a REALISTIC GOAL/
Suggests ‘truth’ should be understood in terms of what works

Question 10

Situation Ethics Four Working Principles- RELATIVISM

Answer 10

There are NO FIXED LAWS which must ALWAYS BE OBEYED - Only LOVE IS ABSOLUTE

Question 11

Situation Ethics Four Working Principles- POSITIVISM

Answer 11

It BEGINS with the BELIEF in the REALITY and IMPORTANCE of LOVE
Values are decided by STARTING with FAITH IN GOD

Question 12

Situation Ethics Four Working Principles -PERSONALISM

Answer 12

People are the ULTIMATE MORAL VALUE
People must always come first
They are the CENTRE OF SITUATION ETHICS

Question 13

Situation Ethics Six Fundamental Principles

Answer 13

Only one thing is intrinsically good:love
Love is the ruling norm in ethical decision-making and replaces all laws
Love and justice are the same thing-justice is love that is distributed
Love wills the neighbour’s good regardless whether or we like him
Love is the goal/end and that JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS to achieve that GOAL
Love’s decisions are made SITUATIONALLY not PRESCRIPTIVELY

Question 14

Application of Situation Ethics- Example Abortion after Rape

Answer 14

If woman becomes pregnant after being raped and is refused an ABORTION by Doctor
Fletcher would argue this is the wrong outcome as it focuses on legalism rather than the person-centred

Question 15

Situation Ethics-Conscience

Answer 15

A term that describes attempts to make DECISIONS CREATIVELY
Fletcher argues that conscience is an ACTIVE PROCESS. it is.a VERB not a NOUN

Question 16

Assessing Situations Ethics- Advantages

Answer 16

Enables us to answer DIFFICULT MORAL DILEMMAS where we may have two CONFLICTING DUTIES

Agape Love is good principle- the DEMAND that we do what’s is the MOST LOVING for those around us WHETHER WE LIKE THEM OR NOT stops BIAS

Provides a flexibility to take CIRCUMSTANCES INTO ACCOUNT

Question 17

Assessing Situations Ethics- Disadvantages Part 1

Answer 17

The Concept of the APPLICATION OF AGAPE is VAGUE/SUBJECTIVE. Different people have DIFFERENT VIEWS on what is MOST LOVING

SE has NO CLEAR and ABSOLUTE BOUNDARIES

Question 18

Assessing Situations Ethics- Disadvantages Part 2

Answer 18

It is difficult to know where a situation begins and ends. You may resolve the IMMEDIATE situation using AGAPAE love but set off an UNEXPECTED CHAIN of consequences that does NOT LEAD to a LOVING OUTCOME

Question 19

Assessing Situations Ethics- Disadvantages Part 3 MCQUARRIE

Answer 19

McQuarrie suggests that SE is too INDIVIDUALISTIC and involves individuals deciding based on the SITUATION they FACE
It will be DIFFICULT to APPLY it to SOCIETY

Question 20

Developing Arguments FOR Situation Ethics-Person Centred

Answer 20

SE is a PERSON CENTRED system and starts with the question on what will benefit the person. Unlike NL that is far more LEGALISTIC

Question 21

Developing Counter-Arguments AGAINST Situation Ethics-Person Centred

Answer 21

The Focus on NO ABSOLUTES means no REAL ‘RIGHTS’
Therefore in some Situation s people will be DISREGARDED for GREATER GOOD

Question 22

Developing Arguments FOR Situation Ethics-MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

Answer 22

SE gives humans MORAL RESPONSIBILITY for descions they make.
No Rules given but to ensure LOVE IS APPLIED
CONSCIENCE application ‘VERB NOT A NOUN’

Question 23

Developing Counter-Argument AGAINST Situation Ethics-MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

Answer 23

It is WRONG TO ASSUME that HUMANS WILL have SUFFICIENT EXPERTISE on REASON AND MORAL RESPONSIBILITY.
Particularly in certain situations