Situation Ethics Flashcards
Legalism
Strict moral laws that govern our actions
Antinomianism
There are no rules (anarchy)
Situation ethics is the midpoint between…
Legalism and Antinomianism
Personalism
People are prioritised over rules
One of the 4 Working Principles
Pragmatism
It must work in practice as well as in theory
One of the 4 Working Principles
Theological Positivism
It all comes down to love
One of the 4 Working Principles
Relativism
There is only one absolute and that is agape. all other absolutes become relative to love
One of the 4 Working Principles
6 Fundamental Principles
1) Actions are not intrinsically good or evil
2) Love is the only absolute
3) Love and justice are the same
4) Love considers the needs of other people as well as ourselves
5) We must consider the consequences of our actions
6) Love’s decisions are not absolute, they are made not in the legalistic way of the pharisees but situationally
Whose teachings is Situation Ethics modelled off of?
Jesus
CRITICISM: The notion of a love that is selfless is…
Impractical and unrealistic
CRITICISM: The society that would follow this perfectly is too…
Utopian.
Utopia is often followed by dystopia
CRITICISM: It can be used to justify intrinsic evils such as…
Special Bombing Mission 13 where just under 150,000 people were killed. It has been justified that this is in the interests of the greater community as it brought an end to WW2
CRITICISM: Undermines God because…
What about his OT commandments and the explicit absolutist rules that we get from Him?
CRITICISM: Protestantism argues…
We cannot trust human reason. It is innately flames from the Fall
Ulrich Luz argues that…
A SE approach should be taken when interpreting the Sermon on the Mount
Is life sacred?
YES
Life is sacred because it is God-given
What kind of guidance is given by SE on abortion?
It is all situational and consequentialist. There are no rigid guidelines
What kind of sanctity of life is taken by Fletcher?
Weak Sanctity of Life
What is a weak sanctity of life position?
It is permissible to get an abortion if it is the most loving thing to do, however life is still sacred and that holds moral weight
Quality of life or sanctity of life?
Quality of life is the most important to Fletcher
QoL is a reflection of the love that is being generated
Views on pregnancy from rape
Permitted if its based on love regarding the mother’s safety
Views on aborting a disabled foetus
Permitted if it is motivated by agape (e.g. the family would not have the means to appropriately care for it)
BUT the baby could grow up to have a very good quality of life
Mother’s life is in danger
Always permitted as the abortion would be the lesser of two evils - either both the baby and mother die or just the mother survives
Pregnancy would threaten the career plans of the mother
Permitted if the mother would have her education restricted.
Bringing the baby into a loving home would be preferred but if this is not possible than an abortion is the next best thing. also, if the decision is not motivated by love the ends do not justify the means
Contingent pacifism
war is only justified in extreme circumstances
When is war justified
Sometimes the most loving thing to do may be to step in and intervene militarily
What did Fletcher say about special bombing mission 13?
Shows how absolutes can be broken in the interests of agape
How should the customers be treated?
Agape should be extended to them
Why can SE be used to cut corners in business?
Rockefeller argues that business is simply survival of the fittest. Because of this, it might be justifiable for the small companies to cut corners if the situation requires
How could personalism be extended to immigrant workers?
You must put people above absolute rules
What is the issue with not allowing rules?
Can lead to the exploitation of workers e.g. in Bangladesh
What approach does SE take towards the environment?
Stewardship approach
What should companies do when addressing the environment?
They should not cut corners that would put the environment at risk
