P1 - Situation Ethics

Question 1

why was situation ethics created

Answer 1

created by Joseph Fletcher in the 60s – he rejected legalism and antinomianism
thought that Christian moral decision-making should change because of changing political and social views
traditional Christian ethical theories aren’t flexible
adapted to modern life

Question 2

What is legalism

Answer 2

traditional forms of Christian rule-based morality… Natural moral law and divine command theory
– rejected by Fletcher, he regarded them as inflexible

Question 3

What is antinomianism

Answer 3

Christian and secular forms which claim that each situation is totally unique

• some Christians claim they just ‘know’ what is right and wrong by direct guidance from the Holy Spirit
• in secular existentialism, individuals make their own morality through their responses to the challenges of life
• • rejected by Fletcher, he claimed that Christian antinomians ignored Jesus’ law of love

Question 4

Bible quote that support situationism

Answer 4

“For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’” – Galatians 5:14

Question 5

What is situationism

Answer 5

halfway between legalism and antinomianism
based on agape (selfless love)
apart from Jesus’ law of love, there are no universally and exceptionally binding moral rules

Question 6

what is agape

Answer 6

• • greek word used in the New Testament. Adopted by Fletcher to refer to selfless love
• altrusic, ‘purpose not passion’
• based on reason
• accepts the Bible as the only source of absolute principle - but rejects all other supposedly revealed biblical laws

Question 7

what is conscience

Answer 7

process of making moral decisions
rejected traditional approaches like intuition or a feeling of shame
conscience is something we do, not something we have – a form of guidance

Question 8

What are fletcher’s four presumptions

Answer 8

1. pragmatism
2. contextual relativism
3. positivism
4. personalism

Question 9

what is pragmatisim

Answer 9

assessing whether something works in achieving the final telos, agape

“A pragmatist takes his back upon fixed principles, and pretended absolutes. He turns towards the concreteness and adequacy , forward facts, forward actions, and forward power”

Question 10

what is contextual relativism

Answer 10

assessing what is the most loving thing in each situation

Question 11

what is positivism

Answer 11

the basis of situation ethics is agape – requires a leap of faith as it stems from the belief that God is love
ethical norms are not rational: they are held as an act of judgement and of faith

Question 12

what is personalism

Answer 12

fletcher’s situationism is people-centered (humans are created imago dei, in God’s image), so the needs of people take priority over rules

Question 13

what are fletcher’s six working principles

Answer 13

1. love is only 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’s decisions are made according to the situation and not according to the rules

Question 14

what does he mean by ‘love is only always good’

Answer 14

love is only a predicate: not objectively real, it is something we do

Question 15

Fletcher’s quote on love is the only norm

Answer 15

“… drop the legalist’s love of law, and accept only the law of love.”

Question 16

what does he mean by ‘love is not liking’

Answer 16

love is conative (about the will)

Question 17

Fletcher’s quote on love justifies its means

Answer 17

“… what is sometimes good may at other times be evil, and what is sometimes wrong may sometimes be right when it serves a good enough end – depending on the situation”

Question 18

strengths of situation ethics

Answer 18

• an attempt to find a middle way between legalism and the random nature of antinomianism, makes it very flexible
• emphasises freedom of choice, encourages taking responsibility – people are empowered to make their own decisions
• promotes social justice, motivates people to change things for the better
• encourages a selfless approach to moral decision-making: seeks other’s best interests, attempts to be true to Jesus’ teaching
• Fletcher tried to produce an ethical approach that works in the modern age and meets people’s needs – situation ethics can accommodate new technology, e.g. medical ethics

Question 19

weaknesses of situation ethics

Answer 19

• whether it is a middle way – it may be subjective and close to antinomianism
• it sidelines 2000 years of church traditions and authority, and 3000 years of biblical authority
• amount of responsibility it puts upon the individual, ends up with more moral responsibility
• gives a distorted view of legalism, those who follow a rule-based morality prioritise when rules conflict
• values in rules does not diminish their freedom, following rules is not a sign of immaturity
• fletcher’s flawed perception of human nature, the agapeic calculus is vague and hard to apply
• there is at times a lack of clarity in Fletcher’s understanding of love, equation of love with justice is not true to Jesus’ teaching in the sermon on the mount
• almost all the examples given by Fletcher in support of his views are very extreme – might suggest his theory works only in extreme situations, raises questions about the usefulness of this theory in everyday life