Situation Ethics

Question 1

What is Situation ethics?

Answer 1

A relativist theory of ethics made famous by Joseph fletcher

Question 2

Legalism

Answer 2

An approach to ethics that accepts the absolute nature of established rules of principles

Question 3

Antinomianism

Answer 3

Does not recognise the authority but promotes freedom from external rules, from Greek word meaning lawless

Question 4

Conscience

Answer 4

An internal intuitive guide to good and bad

Question 5

Existentialism

Answer 5

Processes the individual is free and responsible to determine their own development

Question 6

The boss principal

Answer 6

The most loving outcome

Question 7

Homosexual

Answer 7

Being sexually attracted to one’s own sex

Question 8

Polyamorous

Answer 8

Practice of desire for, intimate relationships where individuals may have one or more partners

Question 9

Consequentialist

Answer 9

Theory that suggests an action is good and bad depending on its outcome

Question 10

Relativist

Answer 10

Someone who believes that truth and right and wrong can only be judged in relation to other things

Question 11

Agape

Answer 11

Unconditional love

Question 12

Background of principal

Answer 12

Fletcher offered ethical principles that he maintains can accommodate Christian beliefs

Question 13

Quotes fletcher uses from the bible to support situation ethics

Answer 13

Parable of the Good Samaritan

“Love your neighbour as yourself”

“I have faith that can move mountains, but I do not have love, I am nothing”

“Love is patient love is kind”

“Faith hope and love. But the greyest is love”

“Just as I have loved you, you are also to love another”

Question 14

How does the parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrate agape

Answer 14

•golden rule “treat others how you would like to be treated”
•didn’t care about differences-helping someone regardless of what they think of you
•good nature/goodwill
•freely given-expects nothing back
•being generous
•giving love constantly and unconditionally

Question 15

Bowie legalist ethics

Answer 15

•set of prefabricated moral rules and regulations-for example in Christianity the natural law or biblical commandments
•fletcher says this runs into problems when life complexities require additional laws eg.murder can be argued self defence, killing in war or killing unborn human beings- legalist must include all complex alternatives in the law and create new laws.
•fletcher rejects legalist ethics

Question 16

Bowie antinomian ethics

Answer 16

•reverse of legal ethics-means “against law”
•person using it doesn’t really use an ethical system at all- they make decisions as if each situation is totally unique
•”it is literally unprincipled, purely ad hoc casual”
•fletcher is equally critical of antionmianism approach because it’s unprincipled-no guidance on how to act

Question 17

Bowie situational approach

Answer 17

•prepared to set aside the rules in the situation if love seems better served by doing so
•fletcher-“the situationist follows a moral law or violates it according to loves needs”
•all moral decisions are hypothetical-depending on what best serves love.

Question 18

What are the four working principles/four presuppositions

Answer 18

Pragmatism
Relativism
Theological positivism
Personalism

Question 19

Pragmatism

Answer 19

•a practical or success posture. The proposed course of action must work, and must work towards the end, which is love.
•must be practical and work in each situation
•in any situation love is the overriding principle
•pragma not dogma(belief of the official church)-church teaching is rejected if it’s not practical
•dogma is not important but how the spirit of Jesus’ message was applied to every day living

Question 20

Relativism

Answer 20

•fletcher said best moral theories were relative as no two situations are the same
•”the situationist avoids words like ‘never’ and ‘perfect’ and ‘always’ and ‘complete’; as he avoids the plague, so he avoids ‘absolutely’ ”
•the way which love is carried out may be different from one situation to another-however love is the sole intrinsic good and is able to go into a concentrate situation and be applied differently
•”the absolutism of love is its power to go into the concrete situation”-Tillich

Question 21

Theological positivism

Answer 21

•SE depends on people freely choosing to be Christian

•no proof for god but says if you believe in god and follow Jesus then this is how you should act

•faith statements are made eg. God is love-people should then act in this way

Question 22

Quotes for theological positivism

Answer 22

St Paul- “we love because he loved us”

Galatians- “faith working through love”

Tillich- “love is an ontological dimension of the universe”
-love is a feature of the universe so it was created by a loving god

Question 23

Personalism

Answer 23

•ethics and people cannot be separated-ethical system that is based upon a code or rule without regard for people is pointless

•people are more sacred than rules

•situationism, with love at the centre, focuses on the love as it relates to people.

•kants maxim-“treat people as ends, never as a means to an end”

•god is personal-humans are created in the imago dei (image of god) for a love relationship

Question 24

1) ”Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love: nothing else at all”

Answer 24

•only love is good in and of itself- actions aren’t good or evil

-they are good or evil depending on how much love they produce in their circumstances and consequences

-goodness come from the love they produce

•fletcher quotes Augustine- “one does not ask what he believes or what he hopes but what he loves”

Question 25

2) “the ultimate norm of Christian decision is love: nothing else”

Answer 25

•believes that Jesus replace the Jewish Torah (laws) with love -the commandments are not absolute. Jesus broke them when love demanded it (adulterous women) •as a result fletcher believes that is law of “love” for Christianity is not equalled by another law

Question 26

3) ”love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else”

Answer 26

•agape means standing for justice and representing those who oppressed. •fletcher-“justice is Christian love using its head, calculating its duties, obligations, opportunities, resources…**justice is love coping with situations where distribution is called for**” •justice helps us to learn from negative experiences-learning is the loving element

Question 27

4) “love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not”

Answer 27

•there is no desire to for reward or personal interest-karma and real or apparent good •the love that fletcher is concerned about isn’t a matter of feeling bit towards another person •it’s not sentimental or erotic but the desire for good for the other person to be done •neighbour is anybody and agape is unconditional; nothing is required on return

Question 28

5) “only the end justifies the means, nothing else”

Answer 28

•you should consider every action in light of it’s consequences •the consequences of every moral action should be the most loving result

Question 29

6) “love decisions are made situationally; not prescriptively”

Answer 29

•rejects enforcement of a rule •fletcher says that Jesus reacted against the kind of rule-based morality that he saw around him-didn’t follow Jewish rules •Tillich-demands of the situation over-ride deontological rules: “principles are only tools in gods hands, soon to be thrown away as unserviceable”