Situation Ethics Flashcards
relativistic meaning…
recognises no universal moral norms or rules and proposes that each situation should be looked at independently
consequentialist meaning…
the application of agape also makes moral judgements based on the outcome of an action
teleological application because…
its concerned with the end goal which is always Christian love
Fletcher’s Book
“SE: the new morality” was based on the message that the absolute principle of right and good are not realistic and problematic when applied blindly
Fletcher argument
in order to make meaningful ethical decisions, the situation needs to be considered and doing what is right requires the practical application of agape
what is agape?
loving kindness, seen as the best form of love (Christian love)
each situation is…
not a blueprint of other circumstances so each situation is considered/judged independently and uniquely.
the churches ethical stance…
took a legalistic approach using “fabricated rules and regulations” as directives but was only “hurting people instead of helping people”
what is legalism?
the ides that ethics should be about accepting and adhering to laws and rules, these are considered to be absolute. e.g. a Christian legalist would feel obliged to follow all 1663 commandments to the very letter.
what is antinomianism?
the idea that ethics should not be bound by laws and rules, and should actively promote freedom from imposed rules. e.g. a Christian antinomianism would not feel obliged to follow the 10 commandments.
fletchers situation ethics approach
he takes “the middle way” between legalism and antinomianism so calls this situation ethics. for fletcher, freedom to reason is crucial. he didn’t embrace total autonomy as only saw love as the only principle as deciding on what to do should produce the most loving outcome.
What ‘God-given’ laws does Joseph Fletcher reject?
all except to ‘love God’ and ‘love thy neighbour’
at the time what was happening?
during the 1960s there was huge rejection of authority. like in the 50s illegal to be gay as stated in NML but fletcher changes this view.
why does fletcher reject legalism?
he believe that there should be flexibility and not absolute laws for morality.
why does fletcher reject antinomianism?
he believe that there should be flexibility and not absolute laws for morality. antinomians had no strategy and had no principles or maxims whatsoever
biblical evidence of agape
-the parable of the good Samaritan
-love thy neighbour is known as the greatest commandment
-love seen as the greatest virtue by Jesus, Paul and the church
- Jesus worked on the sabbath, flipped tables in the markets and touched lepers
the boss principle
Agape is the spontaneous and impulsive love towards god and fellow beings. its universal, outward looking and embraces all.
what are the four working principles?
they are used as a guide to decision making by focusing on what is the most loving thing in a given situation. they are pragmatism, relativism, positivism and personalism
pragmatism is…
ethical decisions must be practical and work in real life situations. “the good is what works, what is expedient, what gives satisfaction”. action must be “doable” and aimed at love
relativism is…
there are no absolute rules instead ethical decisions are relative to the circumstance. love is the only absolute and other principles must be applied flexibly to serve love. EG: lying is wrong but to save someone’s life is most loving action
positivism is…
statements of faith are asserted to and accept voluntarily as an act of faith and reason works out the application of faith
EG: a doctor gives medication to sooth pain but could hasten death but guided by positivism chooses to prioritises well being of patient
personalism is…
concern for people rather than things. the people are always valued more highly as people are above the law. the discipline is to love people not laws and precept. e.g. breaking a law to help someone in need like a stealing for a starving person
what is the 6 fundamental principles?
they explain how the concept of love can be understood in the context of Christian moral decision making.
what are the 6 fundamental principles?
love is intrinsically good, love is the ruling norm, love and justice are the same, love is not based on feelings but on will and action, love justifies the means, decisions are made situationally and not prescriptively
1- love is intrinsically good
nothing is intrinsically good except for love. an actions morality depends on weather they promote love. e.g. stealing to feed a starving child
2-love is the ruling norm
love replaces the legalistic rules and should guide all decisions just like Jesus prioritised love over adherence to the laws
3-love and justice are the same
justice is love distributed so acting lovingly means striving for justice in a way that benefits everyone. e.g. a decision that only benefits oneself may not reflect justice or love
“justice is the many-sideness of love”
4-love is not based on feelings but on will and action
love is not an emotion but an active choice to seek the good of others. its unconditional and doesn’t depend on if like the person. e.g a person helping an enemy
5-love justifies the means
morality of an action depends if achieves most loving outcome. no action is inherently wrong if results in love. e.g lying to save someone’s life
6-decisions are made situationally not prescriptively
each decision should be made based on unique context and what promotes most loving outcome
