situation ethics

Question 1

what are the three approaches to ethics?

Answer 1

legalistic, antinomian, situational

Question 2

what are fletcher’s four presuppositions?

Answer 2

pragmatism, relativism, positivism, personalism

Question 3

what is pragmatism?

Answer 3

morality = about facts and actions / what works / what maximises love in situation

Question 4

what is relativism?

Answer 4

morality is relative to the situation, so we should avoid words like: ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘perfect’

jesus’s agapeic love ‘relativizes the absolute, it does not absolutize the relative’

love is the only absolute

Question 5

what is positivism?

Answer 5

affirming the belief that ‘we should love each other because love is from God’ 1 John 1:7-12

Question 6

what is personalism?

Answer 6

people before laws, question to be asked in any situation = ‘who is to be helped?’

Question 7

how does fletcher see conscience

Answer 7

a verb not a noun, can be used for our attempts to make decisions constructively, based on situations + moral values

Question 8

what are the 6 propositions?

Answer 8

Justice
- justice = love distributed, justice = love calculating its duties, opportunities + resources

Overruling
- love is the only norm, ruling norm of christian decision making, love thy neighbour + god = most important commandment

Intrinsic
- agape = only intrinsic good

Neighbourly
- love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not, love not an emotion, love is willed

End justifies means
- anything can be done if brings about most loving outcome

Situational
- love’s decisions made situationally, not prescriptively

Question 9

what 4 factors considered when making a decision?

Answer 9

1. what end do we seek?
2. what means do we use to obtain it?
3. what motive is behind our act?
4. what are the foreseeable consequences?