Situation Ethics Flashcards
What is agape?
Selfless, unconditional love.
We should try to act out of love for others and serve their best interests.
What does the Bible say about agape?
Jesus said ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’.
One of the four working principles is pragmatism. What does that mean?
SE is based on experience rather than on theory.
For an action to be good it has to be practical.
It must work.
One of the four working principles is relativism. What does that mean?
SE is based on making the absolute laws of Christian ethics relative.
This means that rules (absolutes) don’t always apply, they depend on the situation.
So the absolute rules e.g. ‘do not steal’ becomes relative to love – if love demands stealing for food for the hungry, you should steal.
One of the four working principles is positivism. What does that mean?
SE began with the belief in the reality and importance of love.
You have to start with a positive choice – you need to want to do good.
One of the four working principles is personalism. What does that mean?
People are more important than rules.
Can be seen in the Bible when Jesus says ‘Man was not made for the Sabbath.
What is the 1st proposition?
Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love: nothing else at all.
What is the 2nd proposition?
The ruling norm of Christian decision is love: nothing else.
What is the 3rd proposition?
Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else.
What is the 4th proposition?
Love wills the neighbour’s good, whether we like him or not.
What is the 5th proposition?
Only the end justifies the means; nothing else.
What is the 6th proposition?
Love’s decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively.
What is the conscience to Fletcher?
A verb, not a noun – a moral compass.
