Situation Ethics

Question 1

Who is situation ethics commonly associated with

Answer 1

Joseph Fletcher

Question 2

What did fletcher believe he was following the logic of

Answer 2

Believed he was following the logic of previous writers like Aristotle in Nicomachean ethics as Aristotle does note the fact that right judgement requires that we pay particular attention to circumstance

Question 3

How does fletcher argue one can possibly approach moral life

Answer 3

In three possible ways, legalism, antinomianism and situationism

Question 4

What is legalism

Answer 4

The belief that there are moral fixed rules which are always to be followed

Question 5

What is fletchers problem with legalism

Answer 5

He believes this approach to morality has been a major fault in many religions as it leads to Puritanism (making the rule with greater dignity than the person) because a truly ethical approach would have the person come first

Question 6

What is Antinomianism

Answer 6

It’s the denial of any rules and the only things we should follow is our own choices

Question 7

Situationism

Answer 7

Believes in the rule of love but believes that it needs to be applied situationally

Question 8

What are four working principles

Answer 8

Pragmatism, relativism, positivism and personalism

Question 9

Pragmatism

Answer 9

We must seek practical solutions which work to achieve success

Question 10

Relativism

Answer 10

Whatever we do must be related to both facts about ourselves and what we are able to do and the particular facts of the situation

Question 11

Positivism

Answer 11

The belief in a god or love or a higher food is posited then supported by logic. As we have this belief in the supremacy of love we must then reason out what supports that love in any situation were faced with

Question 12

Personalism

Answer 12

Requires that we place people, not principles or rules, at the centre of all our moral consideration

Question 13

What are the six propositions

Answer 13

1) Only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love and nothing else
2) The ruling norm of Christian decision is love, nothing else
3) Love and justice are the same for justice is love distributed and nothing else
4) Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not
5) Only the end justifies the means and nothing else (teleological)
6) Loves decisions are made situationally not prescriptively

Question 14

What are the six propositions based around

Answer 14

The main theme of always considering the most loving result

Question 15

Does situation ethics require Christian belief

Answer 15

Although in his books and theories he references Christianity it is not clear that it requires Christian belief

Question 16

Objection 1 to Situation ethics (utilitarianism)

Answer 16

It seems to have all the problems of act utilitarianism especially in regards to proposition 5. It’s teleological so suffers problems regarding time, relevant information and skills

Question 17

Objection 2 to situation ethics regarding the situation

Answer 17

Fletcher fails to distinctly outline what constitutes a situation, is it the immediate or does it relate to the future, and if so how far into the future

Question 18

An example for objection 2

Answer 18

If I see a man drowning so I save his life but he then goes on to kill 5 people a year later if I had that knowledge prior to saving him would the right decision have been to let him drown

Question 19

Objection 3 to situation ethics by Anthony O’Hear

Answer 19

Is it true that no action is intrinsically wrong for example if I were to throw babies onto bonfires sure this is intrinsically a bad action and can never be good regardless of situation

Question 20

Fletcher’s comeback to objection 3 (Anthony O’Hear)

Answer 20

Fletcher would come back by drawing on his example of a woman in prison who commits adultery with a guard in order to get out and see her husband (layer out in his Situation Ethics). In the same way if throwing these babies onto bonfires was saving the universe from collapsing then it can be justified

Question 21

Objection 4 to situation ethics

Answer 21

The argument can be made for what if the person who is deciding what the right thing to do in a certain situation is not mentally ‘correct’ and is unable to comprehend what many regard as love of what if they think the best way is evil. In this case is situation ethics subjective or does it not apply in this case

Question 22

Objection 5 proposed by D.Z Philips and quote

Answer 22

He raised the question of what to do in a situation where a bad outcome is inevitable and how can we know what the right thing to do is. ‘When one finds oneself in a situation where whatever one does one is going to hurt someone’ what should one do