Situation Ethics

Question 1

Who created Situation Ethics?

Answer 1

Joseph Fletcher

Question 2

Why did Fletcher propose situation ethics?

Answer 2

He was opposed to war
-> wanted to re-establish what he considered, the most important aspect of Christain morlaity = the law of love (agape)

Question 3

When did Fletcher propose situation ethics?

Answer 3

1950s-1960s
-> during the radical movements and the war

Question 4

What was situation ethics inspired by?

Answer 4

Jesus’ gospel message of agape love
-> grounded in the gospel
-> Jesus taught no ethics apart from “love thy neighbour”
-> inspired particularly by “God is love” - John

Question 5

What is Agape?

Answer 5

Unconditional Christian love which reflects the love of God, and is based on mutual acceptance

Question 6

What did Fletcher believe you should do when making moral decisions?

Answer 6

Always do the most loving thing in every sitaution

Question 7

What are the key principles of agape love?

Answer 7

-> it is unconditional
-> it takes an active interest in the true welfare of others
-> it is a human immitation of God’s love for humans

Question 8

What are the four working principles

Answer 8

1) Pragmatism
2) Personalism
3) Positivism
4) Relativism

Question 9

What does the 4WP of Pragmatism mean?

Answer 9

For a course of action to be right, it has to be practical, and must work
-> based on experience not theory

Question 10

What does the 4WP of Personalism mean?

Answer 10

People, not laws or anything else, are at the centre of SE

Question 11

What does the 4WP of Positivism mean?

Answer 11

You must start with a positive choice and want to do good
-> begins with belief in the reality and importance of love

Question 12

What does the 4WP of Relativism mean?

Answer 12

Based on making absolute laws of Christian ehtics relative

Question 13

What are the six propositions?

Answer 13

1) Love is always good
2) Love is the only norm (rule)
3) Love and justice are the same
4) Love is not liking
5) Love justifies the means
6) Love decides there and then

Question 14

Which 6P’s link to which 4WP’s?

Answer 14

Pragmatism =
-> 5. Love justifies the means
-> 6. Love decides there and then

Personalism =
-> 4. Love is not liking

Positivism =
-> 1. Love is always good
-> 3. Love and justice are the same

Realtivism =
-> 2. Love is the only norm (rule)

Question 15

What are Fletcher’s three ways of making moral decisions?

Answer 15

He maintained that the three ways to make moral decisons are:-
1. Legalistic Ethics
2. Antinomian Ethics
3. Situation Ethics

Question 16

What did Tillich say about love?

Answer 16

Tillich - “the law of love is the ultimate law”

Question 17

What did Fletcher say about the conscience?

Answer 17

Conscience is a VERB
-> something you do when making moral decisons = an action
-> to act on our conscience we must be in the situation and experiencing it
-> outcome could not have been known beforehand = revealed

Question 18

What does Fletcher reject about the conscience?

Answer 18

1) Its an intuition
2) Its a channel for divine guidance
3) Its the internalised values of an individuals culture
4) Its the part of reason that makes value judgements

Question 19

What are the strengths of Situation Ethics?

Answer 19

-> 4WP’s and 6P’s provide useful guidance and stops it being too subjective

-> Jesus broke the Sabbath law in favour of personalism (e.g. plucked grain)

-> Bultmann = jesus had no ethics other than “love thy neighbour”

-> Libby Ahuluwalia = theory can never become obsolete, because it can adopt to any situation

-> Archbishop Desmond Tutu = expressed importance of gaining justice to uphold love for the oppressed

-> Bowie = flexible, practical and it fits with the modern day world

-> One persons conscience may be different to anothers, which explains why we come to different decisions

Question 20

What are the weaknesses of Situation Ethics?

Answer 20

-> Pope Pius XII = condemned the situationist approach, stating “it is an opposition to the Natural Law or God’s revealed will”

-> “Love thy neighbour” is only half the rule, loving God is te other half and so we should follow the divine laws

-> St Paul = rejects the idea that we may “do evil so that good may come” because the ends never justify the means

-> Macquarrie = too individualistic and people tend to be selfish

-> Barclay = too subjective and it ignores whether an action is right or wrong, just opinion “man has not yet come of age” - we need rules

-> Tillich = allowing individual moral choices will lead to chaos