Situation Ethics Flashcards
How does FLETECHER see SITUATION ETHICS?
sees it as the ONLY SENSIBLE Approach to Ethics as it AVOIDS the 2 UNHELPFUL EXTREMES in Ethical Thought :
- LEGALISM - an Over Reliance on Applying Endless Rules
- ANTINOMIANISM - Rejection of All Moral Laws
What does FLECTHER argue about AGAPE ?
Situation Ethics argue that There’s ONE MORAL RULE - AGAPE.
This Love isn’t merely an Emotion, but Involves Doing what’s Best for the Other Person, UNCONDITIONALLY.
We SHOULD DO the MOST LOVING THING in Any SITUATION
Name FLETCHER’S 4 WORKING PRINCIPLES – the Foundations of Situation Ethics
- PRAGMATISM
- RELATIVISM
- POSITIVISM
- PERSONALSIM
Explain the WORKING PRINCIPLE - PRAGMATISM
it HAS to WORK in DAILY LIFE - Must be Practicial.
the Decision we Make Must be Something that WORKS and PRODUCES GOOD OUTCOMES
Explain the WORKING PRINCIPLE - RELATIVISIM
there Should be NO FIXED RULES- the Right Thing to Do is DEPEDNANT on the CONTEXT - although the Principle of Love always Applies - Love is the Reason to Act - the Specifics of how Love Applies Varies between Situation
Explain the WORKING PRINCIPLE - POSITIVISM
using the Principles of Christian Love, a Value Judgement has to be Made - to Uncover the Right Cause of Action, you Have to Start with a POSITIVE CHOICE - you need to WANT TO DO GOOD
Explain the WORKING PRINCIPLE - PERSONALISM
SE is PEOPLE CENTRED - people should Be At the Centre of the Theory - JESUS Placed People Above Rules -the Key to Good Ethics is to Place the Good of People at the Centre, rather than Obedience to Rules
Name the 6 PRESUPPOSITIONS that Give Rise to the Theory and It’s Approach to Moral Decision Making
(1) “ Only One Thing is Intrinsically good, Namely Love : 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, Nothing else
(4) “ Love Wills the Neighbour Good, whether we Like Him or Not “
(5) “ ONLY The END JUSTFIES the MEANS, Nothing Else “
(6) “ Love’s Decisions are made Situationally, not Prespectively
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - “ ONLY ONE THING IS INTRINSICALLY GOOD, NAMELY LOVE: NOTHING ELSE”
intrinsically - in An Essential or Natural Way - Good in themselves
ONLY LOVE is TRUELY GOOD in itself ; Fletcher calls Love the One Regulative Principle of Christian Ethics
Nothing Else has Intrinsic Value
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - “ THE RULING NORM OF CHRSTIAN DECISION IS LOVE, NOTHING ELSE”
where Love and Laws Conflict, we MUST FOLLOW LOVE.
Love Replaces the Law, the LAW should ONLY be OBEYED in the INTERESTS of LOVE not for the Laws Sake
Fletcher Remind us that JESUS Summed up the Whole Law as “Love God “ and “Love your Neighbour”
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - LOVE AND JUSTIC ARE THE SAME, FOR JUSTICE IS LOVE DISTIRBUTED, NOTHING ELSE
there can Be No Love Without Justice
JUSTICE is Christian LOVE Applied RATIONALLY and in a CALCULATED Manner
Fletcher suggests This Isn’t Sentimental Love, but is the Calculation Made by Businessmen in Deciding who Benefits the Most.
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - “ LOVE WILLS THE NEIGHBOUR GOOD, WHETHER WE LIKE HIM OR NOT “
Love’s an Attitude, not a feeling , it’s a SELFLESS COMMITMENT or DECISION to TREAT OTHERS as BEST as we Can, it DOESN’T REQUIRE Anything in Return.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan illustrates Everyone is Potentially our Neigbour
Fletcher Notes that Jesus’ Command to LOVE extends to Loving our Enemies
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - ONLY THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS, NOTHING ELSE
argues that IF our END IS LOVE , Or our Aim, then ANY MEANS of ACHIEVING LOVE is JUSTIFIED.
It’s Whether the End is Worthwhile that Determines the Action is Worthwhile
FLECTHER uses the Example of WW2 Resistance Fighters who routinely Lied and Even Killed Members of their Own Side because of the Importance of their Cause
Explain the PRESUPPOSTION - LOVE’S DECISIONS ARE MADE SITUATIONALLY, NOT PRESPRIPTIVELY “
he States that Love DECIDES ‘THERE and THEN”.
Knowing that we Should LOVE Doesn’t Tell us What to Do in a Specific Situation - there’s No Rules about what Should and Shouldn’t be Done.
You Decide Then and There and then what’s the Most Loving Thing
What are FLETCHER’S 4 CASE STUDIES
SACRIFICIAL SUICIDE
JUSTIFIABLE MASS KILLING
PATRIOTIC PROSTITION
SACRIFICIAL ADULTERY
Explain the Case Study - SACRIFICIAL SUCIDE - and it’s Most Loving Outcome
PATIENT had a Set Time to Live - DOCTORS could give him Pills that would Pro-Long his Life for 3 Years - if he didn’t take them - he’d be Dead within 6 months. But IF he Took the Pills and Live Past Next October , his Life Insurance would be Cancelled
Man was thinking If he Didn’t Tale the Pills, his Family Would Get Left with Some Secuirty
MOST LOVING OUTCOME - TAKE PILLS to Prolong Life of Patient - HUMAN LIFE should be VALUED MORE than Money from Insurance
Explain the Case Study - PATRIOTIC PROSTITUTION - and it’s Most Loving Outcome
Was a WAR going on that her GOVT believed Could Be Stopped by Some Clever Use of ESPIONAGE and BLACKMAIL. However this mean that this WOMAN had to SEDUCE and SLEEP With an ENEMY SPY In order to LURE HIM and BLACKMAIL. this was Against Her Morals but it would End the War, Saving Life, although it Breaks Her Standards
MOST LOVING OUTCOME - SLEEP with the SPY as it would SAVE many LIVES and END WAR , sleeping isn’t that extreme
What are 3 ADVANATGES of SITUATION ETHICS
- FLEXIBILITY , gives PERSONAL FREEDOM to People to Decide What the Most Loving Action is
- FITS In with the PRACTICAL ETHICS of JESUS in the New Testament Jesus BROKE RELIGIOUS RULES and Dealt with Everyone as Individuals and According to Circumstances
- Love can Only be Good
What are 2 DISADVNATAGES of SITUATION ETHICS
LOVE IS SUBJECTIVE - will Always Be a Dispute as to What is Really the Most Loving Thing to Do, and What this Means in Practise
- LAWS ARE NECESSARY - they’re There for Protection of Society Discarding Absolute Laws Wouldn’t Work in Society
