Situation ethics

Question 1

Situation Ethics - Introduction

Answer 1

Largely teleological ethical system based on the writings of Joseph Fletcher in his book ‘situation ethics’, published in 1966

Question 2

Situation Ethics - Fletcher’s three approaches to moral thinking

Answer 2

1. Legalistic - based on fixed laws
2. Antinomian - have no laws at all
3. Situational - looking at the context of the moral problem and adopting the law of doing the most loving thing in that situation
   >Fletcher thought that the third approach provided the best middle ground
   >Influenced by other theologians such as Barth, Bonhoeffer and Bultmann

Question 3

Situation Ethics - Agape love

Answer 3

> Agape love should be at the centre of ethics
Christian love which is unconditional and reflects the love of God
Demands that people love their neighbours and also enemies
Self-sacrificing
‘Law of love’ should guide moral decision making

Question 4

Situation Ethics - Fletcher’s six propositions

Answer 4

1. The only thing which is intrinsically good is agapeic love
2. Love is the ruling norm of Christian ethics
3. Justice is love distributed
4. Love does not depend on emotional likes and dislikes
5. Love should be the goal of moral action
6. Love should be considered in the context of each situation

Question 5

Situation Ethics - Four working principles

Answer 5

1. Pragmatism - practicality in the real world
2. Relativism - rules are not to be seen as fixed and absolute
3. Personalism - people matter more than laws
4. Conscience - conscience is not seen as a reliable set of internal rules but as activity

Question 6

Situation Ethics - Fletcher’s understanding of conscience

Answer 6

> Doesn’t guide human action
Not a store of reliable rules to which people can refer
Not a kind of inner voice with access to divine truth
It’s a verb, not a noun
Describes what people do when they are trying to make moral decisions and are weighing things up

Question 7

Situation Ethics - Possible strengths

Answer 7

> Reletavist - allows for consideration of individual circumstances
Does not have problems of being an outdated ethic
Could be considered quick and easy as a method of decision making
Allows autonomy
Could fit well with a person’s Christian faith

Question 8

Situation Ethics - Possible weaknesses

Answer 8

> Relativist - doesn’t give clear rules
Can be difficult to apply because most loving thing is not always clear
Not always clear how to work out which people should be considered in the efforts to find a loving action
Relativist - could be seen to allow people to justify any action