Ethics : Situation Ethics Flashcards
INTRODUCTION: Introduce Situation Ethics.
> Fletcher would argue that we make our own decisions about what is right/wrong in a situation in order to produce the most amount of love.
Situation Ethics is the method of ethical decision making that focuses on what is the most loving thing to do — therefore it is teleological.
Fletcher was a humanist (a system of thought in which reliance is placed on human intelligence and will rather than supernatural guidance)
Situationism is a type of moral decision making which puts people before rules, and doesn’t ignore tradition but is not bound by it.
FOR: Why would Fletcher argue that Situation ethics is good for making ethical decisions? — Flexible, Conscience, Agape, Agapeic Calculus
Fletchers Situation Ethics can be seen as a good way to make ethical decisions as it promotes autonomy. Autonomy is when people are empowered to make their own decisions within the situations they encounter. Legalism apposes this and may enforce specific rules which don’t fit the situation. Although situationists don’t abide by the religious law entirely, it is followed in most situations but given some flexibility in extreme circumstances. This makes it adaptable to difficult situations where religious laws may not entirely provide an answer. Situation ethics focuses of agape (love) , this refers to what will bring the most amount of love in any given situation. In most cases Agape is associated with Christian love “love one another as i have loved you” (John 13:34) . Therefore, ethically Situation ethics can be seen as the most reasonable and practical method for making ethical decisions.
FOR: Why would Fletcher argue that Situation ethics is good for making ethical decisions? — The Four working principles & Six Fundamental propositions
Joseph Fletcher talks about the importance of applying love in every given situation, however it may seem difficult initially to know exactly how to apply these concepts. The four working principles act as a guide on when, how and why we should apply situation ethics. These are, pragmatism (the morality should be judged depending on the results), relativism (morality is relative to the situation), positivism (its a commitment to Christian love) and Personalism (people come before law). All these principles work together to act as a guide on how to act within a situation in order to produce the most agapeic result. Similarly the six fundamental propositions offer guidance on how to apply “good” that is loved. Therefore, Situation ethics is arguably the most realistic method of making ethical decisions as it ensures we can apply the rule of love through guidance
AGAINST : Why might some people argue that Situation Ethics isn’t the most reliable for making ethical decisions? — Conflicting opinions
Some people may argue against Fletchers situation ethics as it is conflicting. There may be no consensus on what the most loving action may be in a specific situation as people may disagree according to their perspective on the situation. Therefore, situation ethics could be seen as flawed as people inevitably see things from different perspectives so it is difficult to conclude what is most loving. Similarly, some scenarios are future conditional, meaning the most loving thing long term may not be the initial agapeic action, leading to bad consequences. For example, President Truman and the nuclear attack on Nagasaki. Therefore, Situation ethics may be viewed as conflicting and difficult in relation to specific scenarios.
AGAINST : Why might some people argue that Situation ethics isn’t practical in ethical decision making? — Too much responsibility
Situation ethics may be seen as impractical in the long term as it is too much responsibility for the individual to bear. Individuals seem to be entirely responsible for all their actions with no guidance from the Bible or Church. Eventually, this could lead to individuals acting recklessly and in accordance with what they feel inclined to do rather than what is actually right. Following this, it could be seen as arrogant in the sense that Situation ethics sidelines 2000 years of church tradition, ignoring moral wisdom and authority in favour of your own preference. Therefore, situation ethics may be viewed as contradictory as it isn’t practical in ethical decision making.
FOR : Why would Situation Ethics be seen as a good way to make ethical decisions? — Inspired by God
It could be argued that although Fletchers situation ethics seems to oppose typical laws of Christianity, Jesus’ teachings in the new testament displace agape entirely. The principle of Agape seems to be grounded clearly in the life Jesus lived, as he acted situationally rather than legally. For example, Jesus taught the central message that we should love God and love our neighbour. In John 8:1-11, when a woman committed adultery, by law this sin should be condemned by stoning, yet Jesus refused this and forgave her. According to Christianity, Jesus was the ultimate human role model all people should aim to live up to, as he was a guide. Thus, the fact that he promotes situational actions, reinforces that Situation Ethics is a good way to make ethical decision making.
