Situation Ethics

Question 1

What type of ethical theory is situations ethics

Answer 1

Altruistic and teleological ethical theory

Question 2

Who proposed situation ethics

Answer 2

• American ethicist , Joseph fletcher

Question 3

Who was fletcher ismoried by and what view did they hold,

Answer 3

• William temple
• held a personalist and love centred view to ethics

Question 4

Quote temple on situational is

Answer 4

“ what acts are right depend on circumstances

Question 5

What is agape

Answer 5

Greek word for love
- refers to Jesus’ sacrificial and generous love

Question 6

What did fletcher argue about love

Answer 6

• fletcher argued that love should be at the centre of all of our moral decision making
  “It is axonomical that love should be the predominant Christian impulse”

Question 7

What is temples quote about agape

Answer 7

“ it is axonomical that love should be the predominant Christian thought”

Question 8

What were the three approaches to a moral life

Answer 8

• legalism -> the idea that there are fixed and universal laws which should always be followed
• anitnomianism -> this idea is the rejection of the possibility of any rules, approach by Nietzsche and satre. No rules only our choices
• situationism (fletcher) -> believes in the absolute rule of love and believes it should be applied situationally

Question 9

What are fletchers 4 working principles

Answer 9

• pragmatism
• relativism
• positivism
• personalism

Question 10

In applying situations ethica what does fletcher provide us with

Answer 10

4 working principles
- pragmatism
- relativism
- positivism
- personalism

Question 11

What is Pragmatism

Answer 11

• we should seek workable and practical solutions which work to achieve success not something abstract

Question 12

What is an example of pragmatism

Answer 12

• the Bosnian war in 1947
• rape was used as a torture tactic toward women
• the church then allowed contraception during this period of time as a means of defence
• example of how pragmatic thinking allows for harm to be stopped

Question 13

What is relativism

Answer 13

• the idea that moral decisions should be made relative to the needs of both the performer and situation

Question 14

Give a quote which shows relativism

Answer 14

• do not absolute the relative but relativise the absolute - Joseph fletcher

Question 15

What is positivism

Answer 15

• the idea of a belief in the god of love
• reminds us that love should be at the centre of all of our moral decision making

Question 16

What is eorosmalism

Answer 16

• people are above any principle or rule

Question 17

Quote for personalism

Answer 17

“ love is of people, by people, for people”

Question 18

What does Anthony o hear argue against

Answer 18

• the idea of relativism, is it true no actions are intrinsically wrong regardless of circumstances
• AOH argues that “could it ever be right to throw babies into a bonfire?” -> this is simply an act of cruelty and could never be deemed as good
• goes against the idea that all actions can be right dependant on circumstances

Question 19

What does fletcher argue against AOH

Answer 19

• that there are times that even adultery can be considered as right
• uses an example of a German lady who convinced a prison guard to impregnate her so she can be released and be with her family
• argues that even a adultery, a clear wrong act cns be right

Question 20

What do evangelicals argue against relativism

Answer 20

• evangelicals also argue that there are firm rules and instructions which must always be followed
• we cannot break certain rules such as the 10 commandments
• SE is undermining the Christian faith as it is taking the idea of agape as law but treating everything else as negotiable

Question 21

What are the 6 propositions

Answer 21

• “only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love, nothing else”
• the ruling norm of Christian decision is love, nothing else”
• love and justice is the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else”
  “ love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not”
• “only the ends justify the means ; nothing else”
• “ loves decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively”

Question 22

What impact do these 6 propositions have

Answer 22

These 6 propositions reinforce the idea that love is at the centre of all of our decision making
- shows how theory is proposition 5 -> only the ends justify the means nothing else

Question 23

What is a probelm with prop 5 showing teleological

Answer 23

• a probelm with a teleological theory is that we can never be sure of outcomes, we are able to guess but there is no guarantee an action will lead to a specific outcomes, if I save someone from drowning and that person the goes onto kill some one -> was my act bad
• also suffers from the same problem as act utilitarianism, as we have to consider outcomes as the goodness of an action is dependant on outcomes, we would needand take time to determine outcomes and have necessary information

Question 24

What is a strength of SE

Answer 24

• very straightforward, supposes agape (love) to be a boss principle which must always be followed

Question 25

What is a opposing argument to the idea of love as a boss principle

Answer 25

Bishop Barclay: “if all men were angels, situation ethics would be the perfect ethics.” we are not all like Jesus, we are flawed creatures. we cannot be trusted to follow love honestly and universally.

Question 26

What is another issue of SE

Answer 26

• fletcher uses extreme examples oh where situation ethics works such as the German women committing adultery
• this can lead us to question whether it can be applied in everyday ordinary moral dilemmas

Question 27

What is a fatal issue of SE

Answer 27

• assumes that good is right