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Ethics basics > situation ethics > Flashcards

situation ethics Flashcards

1
Q

What is Situation Ethics

A

A good/right/moral action is one that leads to an agape outcome. Agape is the only ethical principle that overrides all other principles

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2
Q

What is Agape

A

Unconditional, sacrificial love that does not ask for anything in return and exists regardless of circumstance

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3
Q

What type of ethic is it? (SE)

A

relativist
Christian
teleological/consequentialist

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4
Q

why did Fletcher call SE ‘principled relativism’?

A

Principled in the sense that it follows the absolute rule of agape, and relativist in the sense that what is most loving changes by situation

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5
Q

What did Rabbi Hilliel say about summarizing the 613 Jewish Laws to show agape was important before the New Testament.

A

‘That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary.’

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6
Q

how does SE embody Jesus’ ethics?

A
  • summed up the law as ‘Love God’ + ‘Love your neighbour’, saying “there is no commandment greater than these”
  • Criticised the Pharisee restriction of the laws over people “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”
  • Parable of the Good Samaritan (people over laws)
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7
Q

What is the greatest example of agape love for Christians?

A

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,” (John 3:16)

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8
Q

Other scholars who put importance on agape

A

1) Augustine, if people truly love God they will be guided to do right.
2) C.S. Lewis, Agape is not natural to us and is only practiced with God’s assistance
3) Bonhoeffer, emphasis on community (Finkenwalde) as well as love, putting people first.
4) Archbishop William Temple, person-centered approach. stated love for others is a Christian’s ‘one ultimate duty’

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9
Q

What were the first three Six Propositions?

A
  1. Love is the only thing that is intrinsically good. Because of this, actions are good/evil depending on how far they promote the most loving outcome.
  2. Love is the ruling norm in ethical decision making and replaces all laws.
  3. Love and justice are the same things - the latter is love that is distributed.
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10
Q

The last three Six Propositions?

A
  1. Love wills the neighbour’s good regardless of whether the neighbour is liked or not.
  2. Love is the goal of the act and that justifies any means to achieve that goal.
  3. Love decides on each situation as it arises without a set of laws to guide it.
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11
Q

4 working principles: Positivism

A

begins in the reality and importance of love

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12
Q

4 working principles: Personalism

A

people are at the centre of SE, not laws or rules

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13
Q

4 working principles: Pragmatism

A

based in experience rather than theory

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14
Q

4 working principles: Relativism

A

based in making the absolute laws of Christianity relative

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15
Q

Example of Jesus putting love above the law

A

healing a blind man on the Sabbath - “The Sabbath was made for man not man for the sabbath”

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16
Q

What was the Golden rule

A

treat others how you woul like to be treated

17
Q

What was the Greatest commandment

A

love your neighbour and love God

18
Q

SE Specification

A
  • Agape
  • Six propositions
  • Four working principles
  • Conscience
19
Q

What is it a mistake to interpret SE as

A

a solution to moral problems. rather it provides guidance through key principles so we can hope it is correct.
Fletcher did not think ethics could be certain

20
Q

What controversial actions did Fletcher support

A
  • Abortion/infanticide
  • Euthanasia (former president of Euthanasia society of America)
  • Eugenics
  • Cloning
21
Q

Where did Fletcher sacrifice the trad Christian view of the Sanctity of life for the importance of quality of life

A

Infanticide - Down’s Syndrome
‘no reason to feel guilty about putting a Down’s syndrome baby away’
,A Down’s is not a person’

22
Q

what is situation ethics a middle way between

A

legalism and antinomianism

23
Q

What does fletcher suggest we should consider when making ethical decisions

A
  • Sophia (general principle of the Church and culture)
  • Kairos (moment of decision)
  • Law of AGAPE
24
Q

What do Christians traditionally view conscience as

A

A noun/thing that could be:
the voice of God
the reasoning tool God gave us to be moral

25
Q

what does Fletcher view conscience as

A

an activity (verb)
the director of moral decision making that involves prayer and consideration of 6 propositions and 4 working principles

26
Q

What does Fletcher’s view of conscience not include

A

reviewing the decision afterward

27
Q

Fletcher’s case study to demonstrate SE in practice: abortion after rape

A

girl with schizophrenia raped by a fellow patient in the psychiatric hospital. Father requested an abortion, doctor refuses.
WRONG DECISION, ABORTION - MOST LOVING

28
Q

Fletcher’s case study to demonstrate SE in practice: euthanasia

A

terminally ill man offered treatment to extend his life for a few months, outliving his medical insurance and costing his family lots of money.
PERMISSABLE TO REFUSE TREATMENT

29
Q

Fletcher’s case study to demonstrate SE in practice: adultery (‘Mrs Bergmeier’)

A

German woman detained in Russian Prisoner of war camp, only way to leave was getting impregnated by a guard.
ADULTERY MOST LOVING HERE

30
Q

Fletcher’s case study to demonstrate SE’s flexibility (open-ended): Prostitution

A

female govt agent (WWII) asked to seduce enemy spy for important information, she was uncomfortable but knew it could be crucial to saving many lives.
she was not pressurised an remined of her brother’s position on the front lines

31
Q

Fletcher’s case study to demonstrate SE’s flexibility (open-ended): Atomic Bomb (Truman’s dilemma)

A

end of WWII, US bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing 150,000 instantly and thousand more with radiation. May have ended the war to prevent further loss of life.

32
Q

what did Pope Pius XII say about SE

A

too ‘individualistic and subjective’

33
Q

what do Evangelical Christians say on SE

A

Bible gives fundamental rules which must always be followed, undermining them for Agape may be unchristian

34
Q

what did Anthony O’Hear say on whether there are any actions that are no actions that are intrinsically right or wrong

A

could it ever be right to throw babies onto a bonfire?
just because many actions are situational in their rightness doesn’t mean they all are

35
Q

why is agape distinctly Christian

A

it mirrors the love and sacrifice of Jesus
‘by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’ John 13:34-35

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