Situation Ethics

Question 1

What was the name of the book written by Joseph fletcher in which he wrote his view about situation ethics?

Answer 1

Situation ethics - 1966

Question 2

What was the reception of fletchers book like?

Answer 2

It caused a lot of controversy among other philosophers and theologians

Question 3

Situation ethics

Answer 3

There is no definite moral law and that the morally right thing to do depends solely on the situation

Question 4

What is the most morally right thing to do?

Answer 4

The most loving thing

Question 5

Jospeh fletcher

Answer 5

Anglican ethicist 1905-1991

Question 6

William Temple

Answer 6

Theologian 1881-1944

Question 7

What did temple believe?

Answer 7

The most loving thing to do is entirely situational

Love and respect for others is of the utmost importance

Question 8

What was temples book called?

Answer 8

Nature, man and God 1934

Question 9

What was fletchers book situation ethics inspired by?

Answer 9

The ideas of temple based on love and compassion instead of order and punishment

Question 10

What did both men believe about justice?

Answer 10

Justice is just love in action

Question 11

What is love for humans? (Related to justice)

Answer 11

For humans, love is a verb - it is something we do. Only for God can live be a property because God is love.

Question 12

Personalism

Answer 12

The idea that the needs of the people should be considered about any law
Both fletcher and temple believed in this

Question 13

Legalism

Answer 13

The view that morality is a case of abiding by fixed laws such as the Ten Commandments

Question 14

What did fletcher think about legalism ?

Answer 14

He thought that legalism must always have to allow for exceptions to the rules as it is impossible to have one set of unchanging rules in which case if we can reject one law why can’t we reject all of them?

Question 15

Antinomianism

Answer 15

Morality is purely subjective and that there are no moral laws to follow , we should make decisions based on our own choices

Question 16

What did fletcher think about antinomianism?

Answer 16

He thought that it was pointless as it makes no suggestion as to why a person should live one way rather than another.

Question 17

What did fletcher aim to do with situationism?

Answer 17

He aimed to make a compromise between legalism and antinomianism. There is only one rule and that is to do the most loving thing in any situation.

Question 18

Nominalistic

Answer 18

Does not believe that there are universal rules which cover all situations as each situation is unique - situation ethics.

Question 19

Fletchers six propositions

Answer 19

1. Love is intrinsically good
2. Love is the ruling norm
3. Love and justice are the same thing
4. Love is equal
5. Love is ultimate
6. Love is situational

Question 20

Proposition 1 - love is intrinsically good

Answer 20

Love has inherent worth - an action done out of love is always good whether the consequences are good or bad

Question 21

Proposition 2 - love is the ruling norm

Answer 21

States that love replacesany law, it is the only law

Question 22

Proposition 3 - love and justice are the same thing

Answer 22

States that love and justice are the same thing and that if love was used to make every decision then there would be no injustice

Question 23

Proposition 4 - love is equal

Answer 23

States that live has nothing to do with liking someone - we should act out of love towards someone whether we like them or not

Question 24

Proposition 5 - love is ultimate

Answer 24

The teleological aspect of the theory - everything is based around making life as good as possible for everyone, love justifies the means

Question 25

Proposition 6 - love is situational

Answer 25

Situation ethics has no set of rules - in each situation love should be used to decide at that point in time what is morally right to do

Question 26

What did fletcher use the six propositions to create?

Answer 26

The four working principles

Question 27

What is the first working principal?

Answer 27

Pragmatism- whatever we do should be practical and workable

Question 28

What is the second working principle?

Answer 28

Relativism - whatever we do must be related to what we are able to do and the situation in hand

Question 29

What is the third working principle?

Answer 29

Positivism - the belief in a God of love or a higher God - to begin with a positive choice you need to want to do good

Question 30

What is the fourth working principle ?

Answer 30

Personalism - put people first above any laws or principles