Situation Ethics Flashcards
what did fletcher believe were the 3 possible approaches to moral life?
LEGALISM - approach which reduces moral life to a system of regulations
ANTINOMIANISM - the view that rules and principles should be rejected
SITUATIONISM - (fletcher’s approach) believes absolutely in the rule of love, but believes that it needs to be applied situationally.
what is the four working principles?
PRAGMATISM - by which he means that we must seek practical solutions which work to achieve success. Fletcher makes explicit his debt to pragmatist William James
RELATIVISM - he argues that whatever we do must be related to both the facts about ourselves and what we are able to do and the particular facts of the situation
POSITIVISM - the belief in a god of love
PERSONALISM - requires that we place people, not principles or rules of things, at the centre of all our moral considerations
what are the six propositions?
only one ‘thing’ is intrinsically good; namely love
the ruling norm of christian decision is love, nothing else
love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed: nothing else
love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not
only the end justifies the means
love’s decisions are made situationally
what does fletcher mean by conscience?
he says it should be understood as a verb in other words simply how we act this is very brief but means simply to act using our conscience
he says christian situationists equate good with agape whilst non-christian situationists find some other account such as aristotle’s flourishing
situation ethics essay plan
points
1 - catholic church reject SE
2 - messer, personal variation of agape
3 - fletcher, personalism
catholic church reject SE, 1
- Situation ethics has received a negative reception from the Catholic Church – 1952 Pope Pius XII heavily criticised it and in 1956 the Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office banned it from being taught in Catholic places of worship – was argued that although conscience can be used to interpret what God wanted of mankind, SE treats conscience as the source of moral knowledge “the law of God is written on their hearts” (St Paul)
- Can be argued that teleological relativist theories undermine fundamental moral truth laid down by God
argument against catholic church ethics
- Catholic Church morality is an example of dogmatic, bigoted attitudes which are simply unacceptable in 21st century society – NL commits a naturalistic fallacy of believing there is an intrinsic “natural” right and wrong which leads to prejudice against those who do not conform e.g. homosexuals
- Instead of focusing on a divine law, people should be placed at the centre of moral decision making Pragmatism maintains that ethics should be concerned with solutions as opposed to moral truths – morality should be based on experience and solutions in practice and not principle
vardy argument against situation ethics and relativism
• Yet even if one rejects moral law was laid down by God, it is still possible to criticise teleological relativist theories for denying absolute moral truths, meaning evil acts could be justified in extreme circumstances, if they were bringing about a loving outcome e.g. torturing a terrorists child in order to disclose the location of a bomb. Charlotte and Peter Vardy argue it’s “lack of clear guidance” means the theory ends up being so permissive arguably any action could be justified.
positivism argument against vardy?
- Positivism – one cannot deduce good from natural principles or order; rather good should be created by starting with faith in God to positively reason what God’s will, would dictate in each situation. Good is not discovered.
- “Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love: nothing else at all” “Love never fails” (St Paul 1 Corinthians)
messer agape argument against situation ethics, point 2
- The concept of agape seems to be a matter of personal opinion or interpretation; one could arguably justify any action by claiming it was loving in their opinion
- N. Messer writes situation ethics is “essentially a version of act-utilitarianism” – both are teleological, relativist theories which admit no absolute laws and put the interests of many above a few the charge is that Fletcher has simply taken agape to mean “do whatever is best for the people involved in a given situation”, which is arguably the principles of utility! Messer writes that a Xn ethical theory must be distinctively and specifically Xn i.e. not shared by non-Xns.
cs lewis and 6 propositions defence against messer
- Many misinterpret and oversimplify Fletcher’s use of agape to mean a type of sentimental love, but really it is a more powerful form of love, which exists unconditionally. C.S Lewis in ‘The Four Loves’ distinguishes between the different types of love – agape is not a sexual love (eros), or a friendship (philia) but a charitable, unconditional love (agape). It is love for “what is not naturally loveable” The Good Samaritan
- The six propositions outline the complex and powerful nature of agape “Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, not else” – justice and love are not in tension, rather justice is Christian love applied rationally. Sometimes one has to make the most loving decision, which may appear unloving e.g. to allow one euthanasia. Love is not merely sentimental
inconsistent argument against cs lewis and 6 propositions
• As moral standards will alter according to the situation there cannot be a universal moral code
situation ethics defence against the ‘inconsistent argument’.
relativism + case study
- Relativism is the idea that there must be no fixed or definite rules or truths. Situationists must avoid words such as “never” or “complete”.
- His ethic is based on situationism, a middle way between two arguable errors in ethical thinking: legalism and antinomianism. He argues whereas legalism reduces life to a system of set regulations (leading to puritanism where rules take precedence over people, as shown by the Pharisees), and antinomianism maintains a complete denial of rules, situationism takes moral principles and applies them situationally (recognising that sometimes there will be exceptions to moral rules). Fletcher rejects “pre-fabricated decisions and prescriptive rules”.
- Case study examples to illustrate how some situations require moral principles to be abandoned A woman who committed adultery with a Russian prison camp guard so she would become pregnant and be able to return to her family. A doctor who allows an abortion for a patient in a mental hospital who was raped. Killing someone to prevent a family blood feud which would result in more deaths.
argument in favour of SE, personalism, point 3
• Personalism – people are the ultimate moral value; whereas legalistic morality places rules above people, SE focuses good on its relation to the good of people. “Love is of people, by people and for people” (Fletcher ‘Situations ethics’)
barth + niebuhr argument against
- An individual could claim they were acting situationally when they may be actually be motivated by “baser motives” it can be “used to justify doing what people feel inclined to do, rather than what may be right” better to be told what is deontologically right and wrong e.g. primary precepts…
- Karl Barth and Reinhold Niebuhr raised the issue that if mankind is fallen, it is simply too optimistic to think that we are naturally incline to do good things. Our nature, and our free will is corrupted and we are sinners. We would naturally follow our desires, not agape.
