Situation Ethics

Question 1

Situation Ethics - 5 key features?

Answer 1

• Joseph Fletcher 1960’s
• Inspired by agape and Jesus message of love
• Morality of an action depends on the situation
• Purely based on prioritising someone else’s needs
• Have set of rules, but prepared to put aside if situation calls for it

Question 2

What are the three ways/ approaches to making decisions? (sit)

Answer 2

Legalistic
- set of moral rules and regulations e.g. Christianity, Judaism
- problems - everyday life requires additional laws, e.g. not everything covered by 10 commandments

Antinomian
- Don’t believe in any ethical system at all
- Moral decisions are all unique, each decision spontaneous
- Go against laws and rules

Situation Ethics
- Only rule is agape
- Love involves unconditionally doing what is best for other person
- Have rules, prepared to set them aside if situation calls for it

Question 3

What inspired Situation Ethics?

Answer 3

• 60’s era of free love, contraception and civil rights
• Jesus message of agape
• “God is Love” John I

Question 4

4 examples Fletcher gave for Situation Ethics?

Answer 4

Sacrificial suicide
- Man is terminally ill, offered pills to keep him alive for longer, but life insurance will run out and family left with nothing
- Should he take them

Justifiable Mass Killing
- Use of atomic bombs justified by saying it would save lives by ending war quicker

Patriotic Prostitution
- Spy sleeping with another spy to get blackmail and stop war
- Went against morals but would save thousands

Sacrificial adultery
- PoW in order to return to family needed to be pregnant
- Slept with guard was able to return home

Question 5

What structure does Situation Ethics provide?

Answer 5

• Four working principles
  –> Pragmatism, Relativism, Positivism, Personalism
• Six fundamental principles
  –> IRJNES
  (Intrinsically good, Ruling norm is love, Justice is love distributed, Love wills Neighbours good, Ends justify the means, decisions made situationally.

Question 6

What are the four working principles? (sit)

Answer 6

• Pragmatism - moral actions must work towards or achieve a realistic goal
• Relativism - no fixed laws which must be obeyed
• Positivism - Christian love is followed first, rooted in faith over church/biblical laws
• Personalism - people come first, not rules or ideals

(hint: these can all be used as strengths to Sit ethics)

Question 7

What are the Six Propositions? (sit)
hint: Acronym

Answer 7

ILJNES
I Love Jam Nothing Else Substitutes

1. Only love is intrinsically Good
2. Rulling Norm of Christian decisions is Love
3. Justice and Love are the Same
4. Love wills neighbours good, wheather we like him or not
5. End justifies the mean –> If End = Love
6. (Situationally) Love = Situationally Not Prescriptivelly

Question 8

What Pope criticised Situation Ethics + why?

Answer 8

• Pope Pius XII (12th)
• Situation Ethics not absolute enough
• Christ spoke about importance of following all commandments

Question 9

Is Situation Ethics rooted in Bible? Quote for + Against please.

Answer 9

For:
1 Corinthians “Love Never Ends. Between faith, hope and love, love is the greatest of these”
Peter
“Above all, maintain constant love for one another”

Against
Romans
some people wrongly claim “ “Let us do evil so that Good may come” Their condemnation is deserved!”

Question 10

Strengths of Situation Ethics

Answer 10

Follows Jesus
- Jesus teaches to love our neighbour and love God as most important
- Jesus overturned rules e.g. Moses’ eye for an eye + life for a life
–> overrules legalist approach in favour or situational approach

Allows for Autonomy - Personalism
- Individuals can make their own decisions; free from authorities and established laws

Relativist
- Flexible, works in everyday life were strict rules may not
–> Fletch cab driver “Sometimes you have to put your principles aside and do the right thing”

Positivist
- Focuses / puts love first to lead to Good

Question 11

Weaknesses for Situation Ethics?

Answer 11

Condemned by Pope
- Goes Against Religion
- Pope Puis - Christ spoke about importance of following all commandments

Isolates Church
- Focus on Individualism gives church no place / authority in decisions
- disregards years of tradition and intelligent + influential thinking

People Imperfect
- William Barclay - if all men were angels, situation ethics would be perfect
- People are flawed, cannot be trusted to universally follow love

Vague
- how can we know what right thing to do is –> no concrete guidance

Ends justify means
- Justifies evil acts
–> e.g. Killing for Love
–> Bomb example - killing thousands
- Bible goes against this
–> Roman 3:8 people who claim “Let us do evil so that Good may come” deserve condemnation

Romans
some people wrongly claim “ “Let us do evil so that Good may come” Their condemnation is deserved!”