Situation Ethics Flashcards
Ethical background
Situational principles seem to have been born out of existentialist and antinomian tendencies.
Antinomianism - the theological doctrine that by faith and gods grace a Christian is freed from all laws,including the moral standards of the culture.
Existentialists - emphasise that to be human is to be free and within the freedom you should create you own ethics.
J.A.T. Robinson
Published “Honest to God” in 1963
He challenged the traditional conservative view of God as an objectively real being ‘up there’, and suggested God be understood as the ground of our being.
Supported by a ‘new morality’ that was proposed by Christians like Joseph Fletcher: A morality not based on law, but based on love.
This is ethics for ‘man come of age’ (Fletcher)
Robinson and Fletcher
Used New Testament dialogues between Jesus and the Pharisees as an illustration between old vs new morality.
Jesus was an advocate of new morality, Jesus went back to the first principles , e.g. When asked about the divorce law her referred back to creation.
Jesus taught us the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.
What did situation ethics move too?
Situation ethics moved from a supernaturalist view of ethics (right and wrong delivered directly from God) to a situationalist ethics, declaring nothing as inherently right or bad.
Agape love
it is unconditional, and is identified as the only intrinsically good thing. You should leave behind old restrictions of moral law for a situational approach.
Described by Barclay “the determination to seek the other mans highest good, no matter what he does to you”
Employing agape situationally may demand that we put legalistic laws aside.
Joseph Fletcher
3 approaches to morality
Legalism: a conservative, rule based morality.
Antinomianism: No rule or maxims can be applied to a moral situation (opposite of legalism)
Situationalism: Midway between the 2. Enters decision making away of moral maxims but prepared to compromise them if love is better served.
“Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” John.
The 4 Presuppositions
Pragmatism - what you propose must work in practise
Relativism - words like ‘always’ ‘never’ are rejected. There are no fixed rules, all decisions must be relative to agape.
Positivism - a valued judgement needs to be made, giving the first place to love.
Personalism - people are put in first place, morality is personal and not cantered on laws.
The 6 fundamental principles
Love is the only absolute - it is the only thing intrinsically good, regardless of the situation
Love is the only norm - most important commandment is to love God and thy neighbour
Sacrificial love - love has no favourites, no preferential treatment
Love decides - the loving thing to do will depend on the situation
Strengths
Easily understood- can be updated to new issues such as genetic engineering
Focus concern is for others
Allows people to take responsibility for their own actions.
Responded to change in society and it’s modern morality.
Weaknesses
Pope Pius XII said that it is wrong to make decisions based on individual circumstances if these went against the church and the bible.
It is not possible to determine the consequences of actions. How do we know that they will be the most loving for all concerned.
Susan Howatch
Situation ethics is too idealistic and not realistic enough to deal with moral issues.
E.g. A women having a romantic relationship with a married clergy man.
Would it be safe for society not to have anodised rules and rely upon this kind of situational individualism. It would be impractical not to use the experience of other people. Moral actions are not isolated events.
Barclay in “Ethics in a permissive society”
Fletcher uses extreme examples, how often do we have to make these life and death situations on which we use situation ethics
Laws have certain vital functions; it clarifies experience. It is the means by which society determines what a reasonable life is. It defines crime, it has deterrent values and it protects us.
Fletcher is unrealistic about the degree to which humans are truly free to make decisions without the guidance or control of laws.
Barclay Cont
Laws ensure that humans do not make an artificial distinction between public and private morality.
Humans beings need the guidance offered by rules to avoid moral chaos.
Situation ethics permits too much inconsistency
Background to situation Ethics
A Christian Ethical theory - alternative approach to the divine command theory
1960’s
Emerged at a time when the church faced drastic change e.g civil rights, sexual orientation
Huge change in moral perspective
