Ethics: Situation ethics

Question 1

What does teleological mean?

Answer 1

The word teleological comes from the Greek word telos, meaning goal or purpose. Based on what your aiming to achieve.

Question 2

Who came up with Situation ethics?

Answer 2

Joseph Fletcher

Question 3

What did Fletcher reject?

Answer 3

Legalism
Antinomianism
Deontology

Question 4

Why was Fletcher’s publication of Situation ethics: A new morality in 1966 polarising?

Answer 4

Fletcher thought traditional Christian ethics needed to be given a new focus. He didn’t embrace natural moral law or the Divine Command theory.

Question 5

What church was Fletcher active in?

Answer 5

Episcopal Church mainly due to it’s social ideals until 1967 when he became a humanist.

Question 6

Who supports Fletcher’s ideas?

Answer 6

John A.T. Robinson had already wrote a book refering to Fletcher’s ideas.

Question 7

Who criticises Fletcher’s ideas?

Answer 7

1952 Pope Pius XII condemed situationism and the book was banned.

Question 8

Why does Fletcher say we need to make our own moral decisions?

Answer 8

To avoid hiding behind obediance to moral rules which is ethical cowardice and stops enriching moral development.

Question 9

Why did Fletcher believe reassessment of Christian morality was necessary?

Answer 9

Declining Church membership
Rise of science
Weakening of family bond
Failure of deontological ethics

Question 10

What is legalism?

Answer 10

View it’s always right to obey moral laws.

Question 11

What is antinomianism?

Answer 11

View that the law put in place by societies should be rejected. Claim they have special knowledge so no need for rules.

Question 12

What are classic Christian ethics?

Answer 12

Synthesis of ethics from ancient Israel with the New Testament ethics of Jesus and St Paul.

Question 13

What does Fletcher promote?

Answer 13

Agape
Situationism

Question 14

What is agape?

Answer 14

Christian selfless love which Fletcher see’s as a middle way between legalism and antinomianism.

Question 15

What is situationism?

Answer 15

Based on situation ethics: morality is not about rules (the exception being the rule of love.) Christian action should be tailored to fit the situation.

Question 16

What does Fletcher say about legalism?

Answer 16

“Any web thus woven sooner or later chokes its weavers.”
Rules lack love and even sadistic.

Question 17

What does Fletcher say about antinomianism?

Answer 17

Intellectually irresponsible.

Question 18

New morality quote about rules/laws?

Answer 18

‘Only valid if they happen to serve love in any situation.’

Question 19

What is the only rules in Situation ethics?

Answer 19

Agape

Question 20

What is altruism?

Answer 20

Acting on vocational love

Question 21

When struggling with decision making what should people look to?

Answer 21

Wisdom of Jesus

Question 22

What were Fletcher’s 4 presuppositions?

Answer 22

Pragmaticism
Relativism
Positivism
Personalism

Question 23

What is pragmaticism?

Answer 23

So good is what maximises love.
William James “a pragmatist turns his back upon fixed principles and pretended absolutes. He turns towards concreteness and adequacy, towards facts, actions and power.”

Question 24

What is relativism?

Answer 24

Everything is relative to the situation, so there is no moral absolutes.
“Relativises the absolute, it does not absolutise the relative.”

Question 25

What is positivism?

Answer 25

Ethical norms aren’t rational, they are an act of judgement and faith. Faith comes first.
“Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Question 26

What is personalism?

Answer 26

If we are to maximize love we need to consider the person in a situation — the “who” of a situation.

Question 27

What is conscience and what should it be used for?

Answer 27

Verb
Use to perform an agapeic calculus.

Question 28

What are Fletcher’s 6 propositions?

Answer 28

1. Love is always good
2. Love is the only norm
3. Love and justice are the same
4. Love is not liking
5. Love justifies its means
6. Love decides there and then

Question 29

Explain love only is always good.

Answer 29

If it’s loving, it is right.
Good depends on situation, only intrinsically good thing is love.
Only in God does love have a real existance, it’s only a predicate for humans.
Eg. give money to starving family is good but wrong if parent is a drug addict.

Question 30

Explain love is the only norm.

Answer 30

“Drop the legalists love of law and accept only the law of love.”
Love replaces law and love only employs law when it seems worthwhile, otherwise love can break any commandments.

Question 31

Explain love and justice are the same thing.

Answer 31

Love in society has to be carefully calculated in caring for all and that is justice.
Love isn’t just for one and love and justice need to be reunited, because justice is nothing more than love workig out problems.
Should form a coalition with utilitarianism, with goal of happiness replaced with agape.

Question 32

Explain love is not liking.

Answer 32

“Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not.”
Love is not sentimental it’s conative-so you should will yourself to promote others wellbeing.
Love doesn’t seek out the desrving nor does it make judgements about the people it is to serve.
Jesus-do to others what you would will them to do for you.

Question 33

Explain love justifies its means.

Answer 33

Means have to be carefully selected, telos is love and means is actions used to obtain telos.
The morality of an action can change due to the situation.
You have to make an agapeic calculation as to what will bring about the most loving ends.

Question 34

Explain love decides there and then.

Answer 34

Morality has grey areas meaning no rules can be absolute, so decisions can’t be made off them.
Using ideologies and rules only makes you abondon freedom and can prevent true morality.

Question 35

Fletcher quotes

Answer 35

“The Situationist avoids words like never, perfect and always as he avoids the plague.”

Question 36

Strengths of situation ethics?

Answer 36

Do the most loving thing tailored to individuals
Justice-loving and just
In line with agape
Jesus also broke rules if they wern’t the most loving action
Middle way betwen rigidity of legalism and random nature of antinomianism.
Emphasis on freeedom of choice and responsibility of decision making.
Ethic for a ‘man come of age.’
Encourages a selfless approach to decision making
Attempt of a modern ethic which works in the modern age and meets peoples needs.

Question 37

Weaknesses of situation ethics?

Answer 37

Some actions which are intrinsically wrong
Disagree on what’s most loving
Not always practical as you don’t know the outcome of every situation
Practical to have laws and principles
Is it truly a middle way? closer to antinomianism. This is why it is rejected by Bishop Robinson
Gives a distorted view of legalism, not evryone will prioritise laws
Many see value in rules nor do they diminish freedom
Fletcher has a flawed perspective of humanity, overly optimistic and agaepic calculus is difficult
Lack of clarity in Fletcher’s understanding of love
Fletchers examples are all extreme so may not be relevant in everyday situations

Question 38

Who was William Barclay?

Answer 38

Wrote Ethics in a permissive society and critised Fletcher’s unrealistic scenarios.

Question 39

How did Barclay criticse Fletcher?

Answer 39

Questionned regularity of life or death decisions
Suggested Fletcher was overly optimistic in the value of no laws and if agape was always well apllied laws would be unnecessary but there are no guarantees.
Laws helps to guide us
Human upbringing affects decision making so not just love
Fletcher overly potimistic that humans are always selfless.
Different people have different opinions on what is right/wrong

Question 40

2 Corinthians 3:6

Answer 40

“The written code kills but the spirit gives life.”
St Paul