Situation Ethics

Question 1

What is situation ethics?

Answer 1

• Midpoint between legalism and antinomianism where morality is to be based on Christian love.
• Done in response to socio-cultural movements of the time in an effort to reassess Christian morality.
• Written in a Christian context but no Christian presupposition other than Jesus’ ethic of agape.
• Fletcher’s approach to ethics is teleological.
• ‘You shall love your neighbour as you love yourself.’

Question 2

What are the 4 presuppositions and why do we need them?

Answer 2

• Pragmatism, the good is ‘what works’, in this case, what maximises love. “A pragmatist turns his back upon fixed principles, and pretend absolutes.”
• Relativism, everything is relative to the situation, the most agapeic thing to do is the best.
• Positivism, we must be positive that the action we take is the right one, SE depends on Christians freely choosing the faith that God is love. We must have faith that love is the ultimate rule. “I believe so that I may understand.”
• Personalism, puts people at the centre. Human element emphasised by humans being created imago deo.

Question 3

What are the 6 fundamental principles and why do we need them?

Answer 3

• They act as a guide to help us decide what is the most loving.
• ‘Love only is always good’. No action in itself is good, it is only good if it brings about agape, even if it could lead to ‘grey rather than black or white decision’. E.g., a soldier commits suicide rather than betraying his comrades.
• ‘Love is the only norm’. Love replaces the law. “Drop the legalists love of law and accept only the law of love.” E.g., Bonhoeffer and his plot to assassinate Hitler.
• ‘Love and justice are the same’. “Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed.” E.g., Atomic Bomb on Hiroshima to end the war.
• ‘Love is not liking’. “Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not”. E.g., military nurse who makes wounded soldiers detest her so that they don’t want to stay.
• ‘Love justifies its means’. “Only the end justifies its means; nothing else”. E.g., Indian women strangled her baby to prevent being detected.
• ‘Love decides there and then’. E.g., Lady who took Thalidomide had an abortion in Sweden to prevent the baby from being born with malformations.

Question 4

What are the strengths of situation ethics?

Answer 4

• Provides effective guidance through the application of the 6 fundamental principles.
• SE is flexible and practical.
• Jesus seemed prepared to set aside rules.

Question 5

What are the weaknesses of situation ethics?

Answer 5

• Christians are supposed to follow rules, ten commandments.
• Freedom is terrifying. Barclay
• Vague.