situation ethics

Question 1

What did Fletcher think about Christian moral decision making?

Answer 1

Christian moral decision making needed to change its approach

Question 2

What are Fletcher’s 3 main approaches to moral decision making? Where did he place situationism?

Answer 2

Legalism, antinomianism + situationism
Situationism is in-between legalism + antinomianism

Question 3

What are fletchers 4 presumptions?

Answer 3

Pragmatism, relativism, positivism + personalism

Question 4

What is pragmatism?

Answer 4

Assessing whether smth works in achieving the final telos, agape

Question 5

What is relativism?

Answer 5

Assessing what’s most loving in the situation

Question 6

What’s positivism?

Answer 6

Requires a leap of faith bc it stems from the fact that God is love

Question 7

What is personalism?

Answer 7

People-centred; needs take priority over rules

Question 8

What are Fletcher’s 6 working principles?

Answer 8

Love only is always good
Love is the only norm
Love + justice are the same
Love is not liking
Love justifies its means
Loves decisions are made according to the situation, not rules

Question 9

What are the strengths of fletcher’s situation ethics?

Answer 9

• Agape based, loving
• Promotes individual autonomy
• Adapts to develop. in science
• Promotes social justice

Question 10

What are weaknesses of Fletcher’s situation ethics?

Answer 10

• Puts a lot of responsibility on the individual
• Needs institutional authority
• Mainly looks at extreme situations