Situation ethics Flashcards
Who is Joseph Fletcher?
American moral theologian- Published a book called situation ethics; the new morality 1966.
What was Fletcher’s approach to Christian ethics?
- considered each situation on its own merits
- applying the christian principle of love (agape)
What does Fletcher ague about moral principles?
Moral principles do not work in the real world and that in order to make a meaningful ethical decision, the situation needs to be considered for each individual moral decision and action.
- decision depends on upon the practical application of christian love.
Agape?
selfless love
Situation ethics calls for the practical application for what?
Of christian love to a given situation.
The situation and context come first and principles are put aside.
Fletcher sees his approach to ethics as what?
As grounded in the christian gospel.
Fletcher sees love as what?
active principle- it is a ‘doing’ thing rather than a noun in its self.
What does the new testament say about agape?
- pure, unconditional christian love.
- is love which is disinterested and seeks only the benefit of someone who is loved.
Agape demands that people do what?
people love their neighbours and also their enemies.
Agape love is what?
self- sacrificing
not self- interested
Fletcher thought that the ‘law of love’ should do what?
Guide people to moral decision making
people- aim to do the most loving thing.- consequences of action produce the most loving situation then they are doing the right thing.
What were Fletcher’s four working principles?
They are used to guide people how to think when coming to a moral decision.
- pragmatism?
- based on experience rather than on theory.
- course of action to be right- must be practical.
- instead of following the abstract principles of philosophy- pragmatist, looks for something which will work in practical circumstances.
example of pragmatism?
conjoined twins- jodie and mary
catholic church- let both girls die.- kill one& saving the other would be evil or a bad act.
Fletcher- disagreed- letting both girls die is not pragmatic.- more use and more practical to save one girl at the expense of the other.
- Not consequentialist- love that is good not the outcome- Fletcher’s theory similar to singers utilitarianism.
- Relativism?
-Based on making the absolute laws of christian ethics relative.
- rules not fixed or absolute can be changed according to the situation.
‘it relativizes the absolute, it does not absolutize the relative’
Example of relativism?
Absolutes such as ‘do not steal’ become relative to love- love demands stealing food for the hungry, you steal.
Doesn’t mean ‘ anything goes’- does not take a relative ‘do whatever the situation demands’ and make it absolute.
- Positivism?
- belief in the reality and importance of love.
- Kant & natural law are based on reason- reason can uncover the right course of action. situation ethics DISAGREES. - Have to start with positive choice- you need to want to do good.
What is personalism?
people matter more than laws. - The needs of people should considered when moral actions are taken.
- Situation ethics put people first.
- people more important than rules.
Example of personalism?
‘man was not made for the sabbath’
fletchers God has a relationship with humanity.
- God is applicable to human relationships
Fletcher- pauls ideas- 1 corinthians 13- christians should not sit in judgement on other people.
What are the six propositions used for?
used to consider when making a moral decision.
1st proposition?
‘LOVE ONLY IS ALWAYS GOOD’- Only one ‘thing’ is intrinsically good; namely love; nothing else at all.-
only thing intrinsically good is agapeic love. Other things are good depending on whether they produce loving results, but agapeic love is good intrinsically, for its own sake.
2nd proposition?
LOVE IS THE ONLY NORM(rule)- ‘ the ruling norm of Christian decision is love; nothing else.- love replaces the law- Jesus summarized the entire law- by saying ‘love God’ and ‘ love your neighbour’
Fletchers gives examples of rules which can be broken by Jesus when it is necessary for bringing about loving results.
What is the Criticism for following Love is the only norm?
- it allows the individual to do anything in the name of Love- there are no rules to say that someone has done the wrong thing.
What is the third proposition?
LOVE AND JUSTICE ARE THE SAME- Love and justice are the same thing- for justice is love distributed nothing else’ -
There can be no love without justice. Justice is done when people act with love in a rational manner for the benefit of the community.
Example of 3rd proposition- Love and justice are the same thing?
a starving child- a man arrested without charge ect- these are examples of a lack of love- love probably shared out there would be no injustice.
What is the 4th proposition?
LOVE IS NOT LIKING- ‘ Love wills the neighbours good whether we like him or not’.- Love does not depend on emotional likes and dislikes but it is an act of will, a deliberately chosen attitude.
What is the 5th proposition?
LOVE ONLY JUSTIFIES THE MEANS- ‘ only the end justifies the means; nothing else’- When someone said to fletcher ‘ the end doesn’t justify the means’- ‘Then what on earth does?. If an action causes harm , it is wrong.- If good comes out of it- it is right.
Fletcher says that you cannot claim to be right by following a rule.- knowing is will cause great harm. - only the end or outcome can justify your action.
What is the 6th proposition?
LOVE DECIDES THERE AND THEN.- decisions vary according to the situation.
There are no rules about what should or shouldn’t be done- In each situation, you should decide there and then what the most loving thing to do is.
What is Fletchers understanding of the conscience?
- does not guide human action
- Is not a store of reliable rules to which people can refer.
- It is not a kind of inner voice with access to divine truth.
- is a verb not a noun
- describes what people do when they are trying to make moral decisions and are weighing up things.
What is a strength of situation ethics?
seeking maximum agape- selfless love- useful principle in any situation when making a moral decision- as love for others will always be considered as a good thing.
What is another strength of situation ethics?
Agape is a relevant concept in the twenty- first century. - understood as wanting the best for others- argued that ‘love thy neighbour’ is not an outdated statement.
Strength- regarding the six propositions and four working principles?
Provide useful guidance for moral decision making and prevent situation ethics from being entirely individualistic and subjective.
strength to situation ethics?
- The acknowledgement that fletcher felt that rules should generally be followed- breaking them not a decision to be taken lightly;- the idea that situation ethics has little to no guidance and no social cohesion is false- people should be following a legalistic system with exceptions being made only in rare, extreme cases.
Weakness of situation ethics?
- moral decision making- cannot be simply bases on whether, in any given situation agape is best served.
weakness of situation ethics regarding the ‘ first century biblical concept of agape’
- First century biblical concept of agape- cannot be applied to moral decision making in the twenty first century.
Weakness of situation ethics? what does it make morality?
- Makes morality subjective- no fact whether can action is right or wrong, merely different opinions.
- seems to contradict basic Christian beliefs about God making the world with a particular design and purpose for humans.
Weakness of situation ethics?- regarding being criticised for being individualistic?
individual has too much control or influence, and people tend to be selfish. If I am given complete freedom with no rules governing me- likely to misuse this power.
Weakness of situation ethics? reference to agape love?
Agape- an unselfish, unconditional love- is a great ideal but is rarely achieved in practice. people need rule to live by, and cant really be trusted to do the right thing without those rules.\
