SE Flashcards
Situation ethics: context
- Developed after western world wars. Concepts of morality were changing (religion was no longer focal point of families)
- And 60’s associated with “sex, drugs + rocknroll” as attitudes became less conservative. Movements supporting homosexuality, feminism + black rights grew.
- Fletcher + Robinson, sought an ethical solution would bring people back to religion.
-Between legalism (depending on lots of rules )+ antinomianism (means having no rules at all are not good approaches to ethics.); modernising religion. Between them is agape.
Robinson “man come of age”
-Jesus-centric
Jesus’ example;
- John 8: “let him who is without sin cast the first stone” He then forgave the woman her sins, Jesus prevents C.P on the adulterous woman.
- Fletcher thought Jesus was earliest example of a Situation ethicist, he prioritised love in each circumstance over obeying religious rules. “Love is fulfilment of the law” 2 laws Jesus gave: to love God + their neighbour.
- Mark 3; Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on Sabbath, even though was counted as work for him. Broke religious rule of resting on Sabbath bath. He asks “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: do good or do evil, save life or kill”
Fletchers examples
- Spy- WW2 female spy had option to lie + seduce enemy in war to save millions of lives, procuring info that can stop war.
- POW; Mrs Bergermeier decides to commit adultery + become pregnant- only way to be released form the POW camp + reunite with family, who needed her to keep them together in the aftermath of the war.
- Terminally ill man; Refuses medication that could preserve his life, in order to die in timeframe left on his health insurance, making sure family are left with money to help them.
Applying 4 working principles to an issue:
- Personalism : actions must put humans 1st, minimising emotion + physical pain. Good as upholds human value of human life above anything (they are more important than rules)
- Pragmatism: proposed consequence must be realistic, + any action must work in reality. Good as ensures realistic outcome when considering must loving thing.
- Positivism: Love only is always good, only positive criteria that can apply to a situation. Good as love fits in with human nature, can see best way to behave is being loving. Ensures positive consequence prioritising love.
- Relativism: Love is only relevant criterion in any situation, can always be applied. Good; makes rule of love flexible to any circumstance.
How to apply 6 working principles:
1) Love only is always good- meaning its the only criterion that should be considered in any situation.
2) Love is the only norm - social rules can be broken sometimes to allow the most loving thing.
3) Love + justice are the same, love is justice distributed - love is completely fair in practice.
4) Love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not- love is unconditional, regardless of relationship.
5) Love is the only means- action that is being undertaken is justified by loving consequences.
6) Love decides there + then- there can be no moral absolutes, as the most loving thing is only obvious in specific situations.
Strengths to situation ethics
1) Provides clears alternative to Christian ethics, consistent with what God represented in Gospels. Some argue more in line with God than all teachings in Bible.
2) It’s flexible + practical. Considers complexity of human life + can make tough decisions when, from legalistic stance, all actions seem wrong.
3) Not outdated
4) 4 working principles built-in strengths of theory, showing why it is good. Eg: relativism shows love is flexible in any situation, whereas personalise prioritises human life.
5) Love is key feature of moral systems.
Challenges of Situation ethics
-Pope Pius XII banned S.E being discussed at RC ( saw Bible as a divine law) seminaries
“an individualistic + subjective appeal… to justify decisions in opposition to the natural law or God’s revealed will”
1) Subjective- Depends on personal opinion, best way to do in moral situation + people don’t always have facts to do most loving thing.
2) Individualistic - The most loving thing to one person is not the same as to someone else. Eg: sadists, enjoy hurting others.
3) Prepared to accept any outcome even if the intention was loving - could allow murder, rape.
4) People need rules + laws to make behaviour clear.
5) We have personal preferences for fam + friends, we treat them differently to strangers.- unnatural to ask people to want people to behave completely impartial.
Quotes
John 13; “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another”
Link utilitarianism to personalism;
With regard to euthanasia
- Situation ethics > than utilitarianism
- Utilitarianism is relativist + flexible
- May agree euthanasia is acceptable if freeing up a hospital bed (as would suit the needs for everyone), where a S.E may see this as not the most agape outcome.
- Singer’s version of utilitarianism would avoid weakness
