Situation Ethics

Question 1

Fletcher quote about love

Answer 1

‘Love is the only universal. But love is not something we have or are, it is something we do’.

Question 2

Four working principles - Pragmatism

Answer 2

The solution to any ethical dilemma has to be practical. Fletcher wrote ‘All agreed: the good is what works’.

Question 3

Four working principles - Relativism

Answer 3

Agape love should be applied in a way that is relative to each individual situation. Fletcher wrote “the situationist avoids words like ‘never’ and ‘always’”.

Question 4

Four working principles - Positivism

Answer 4

Agape is accepted voluntarily through faith, and then reason is used to work out the practical application of that faith. Faith comes first.

Question 5

Four working principles - Personalism

Answer 5

Ethics concerns itself with people rather than things. The command is to love people and not laws or principles.

Question 6

Six fundamental principles

Answer 6

1) Only love is intrinsically good.
2) Ruling norm is love; nothing else.
3) Love and justice are the same.
4) Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not.
5) Only the ends justify the means.
6) Love’s decisions are made situationally.

Question 7

Fletcher’s situation ethics - Christian love

Answer 7

Fletcher sees his approach to ethics as grounded in Christian gospel. He sees love as an active principle - it is a ‘doing’ thing rather than a noun.