Situation Ethics

Question 1

What type of theory is Situation Ethics?

Answer 1

Teleological - relates to the telos being aimed at being a consequentialist idea

Question 2

Who is the key thinker of Situation Ethics?

Answer 2

Joseph Fletcher

Question 3

What is the context behind Situation Ethics?

Answer 3

Fletcher believed that Christian moral decision making was needing a update due to several reasons such as
- Severe decline in Church attendance
- Liberalising laws in the UK such as abortion or homosexuality
- Previous Christian theories not flexible enough

Question 4

Who did Fletcher quote at the start of his theory ‘Situation Ethics: A New Morality’

Answer 4

BISHOP ROBINSON: ‘there is no ethical system that can claim to be Christian’
RUDOLF BULTMANN: ‘Jesus has no ethics other than love thy neighbour’

Question 5

What is legalism?

Answer 5

Two types of Christian rule based morality:
1) Natural Moral Law (Reason based)
2) Divine Command Theory (Bible based)

Fletcher rejects it for being too inflexible

Question 6

What is Antinominalism?

Answer 6

No ethical system at all -> some Christians ‘just know’ right from wrong due to the Holy Spirit where as others follow secular existentialism where believers make their own morality through their responses

Fletcher rejects it for being too unprincipled and believed it goes against Jesus’ teaching of ‘Love thy Neighbour’

Question 7

What is Situationism?

Answer 7

Middle way between Legalism and Antinominalism all about agape love basing rules on the situations and reasons and accepts the Bible commands of love thy neighbour. Based on reason and against the idea of an inbuilt law

Question 8

What is Agape?

Answer 8

Highest form of love - Love of God for man and man of god. Fletcher believed that there are no absolutely binding laws in Christianity so agape is the one we should use.

Question 9

What did Fletcher believe about the conscience?

Answer 9

Conscience is something we do not something we have and it is a form of guidance before we make a decision but it can not guide human action.

Question 10

What were Fletcher’s 4 presumptions?

Answer 10

Pragmatism
Contextual Relativism
Positivism
Personalism

Question 11

What is Pragmatism?

Answer 11

Assessing whether something works in achieving the final telos, agape

Question 12

What is Contextual Relativism?

Answer 12

Assessing what is the most loving in each situation

Question 13

What is Positivism?

Answer 13

Stems from the belief of a loving God and that agape requires a leap of faith over reason

Question 14

What is Personalism?

Answer 14

People centred -> needs of the people must take priority

Question 15

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
1. Love only is always ____________

Answer 15

Good.

This meaning that loving isn’t something that people have or are but something that they do. Love is the only intrinsic good.

Question 16

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
2. Love is the only ____________

Answer 16

Norm.

If love requires it then any law can be broken the 10 commandments as Christian morality is based upon love.

Question 17

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
3. Love and ____________ are the same

Answer 17

Justice.

Justice is the way love is expressed and love must be calculated to produce the most loving result

Question 18

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
4. Love is not ____________

Answer 18

Liking.

Selfless act that expects nothing else in return -> Love hates the sin not the sinner

Question 19

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
5. Love justifies the ____________

Answer 19

Means.

Love is always justifiable if it is used correctly and whether something right is nothing to do with if it is lawful

Question 20

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles:
6. Love decisions are made on the ____________ not the rules

Answer 20

Situation.

Used situationally and used to take risks when there are grey areas.

Question 21

Quotes from Fletcher about love

Answer 21

‘justice is love distributed’
‘love plots the course (according to it’s situation)’