situation ethics

Question 1

What does Tillich say?

Answer 1

‘The law is the ultimate law because it is the negation of the law’.

Question 2

What does Corinthians say?

Answer 2

‘And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love’.

Question 3

What are the four working principles?

Answer 3

Pragmatism, Relativism, Positivism and Personalism

Question 4

What is relativism?

Answer 4

The situation should always be relative to agape.

Question 5

What is positivism?

Answer 5

Statements of faith are accepted voluntarily and reason is used within and to work out one’s faith.

Question 6

What is personalism?

Answer 6

A concern for people rather than things.

Question 7

What are the 6 fundamental principles?

Answer 7

• Only love is intrinsically good
• The ruling norm for Christian decisions is love and nothing else
• Love and justice are the same for justice is love disturbed
• Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not
• Only the end justifies the means, nothing else
• Love’s decisions are made situationally not prescriptively

Question 8

When did Fletcher write?

Answer 8

At a time when homosexuality was illegal.

Question 9

What was Fletcher unhappy about?

Answer 9

The inconsistent approach by the government, which had largely been influenced by the church on matters of morality. And he argued that ideas about homosexuality were inconsistent and outdated.

Question 10

What does the Wolfenden report state (quote)?

Answer 10

“It should not be the duty of the law to concern itself with matters of immorality as such… it should confine itself to those activities which offend against public order”.

Question 11

What does Fletcher suggest that the sex laws should be confined to?

Answer 11

• Age of consent
• Infringement of public decency
• Acts involving duress, assault or fraud

Question 12

Who was Alan Turing?

Answer 12

A mathematician who helped in WW2 and was arrested and suffered chemical castration for being homosexual.

Question 13

What was the main conclusion of the Wolfenden report?

Answer 13

That it would be wrong for criminal law to concern itself with what people do in the privacy of their own homes.

Question 14

Even though there has been progress, do gay people have equality?

Answer 14

They still suffer ridicule and are thought of as having a disability.

Question 15

Give 2 breakthroughs for homosexuals.

Answer 15

• 1967, age of consent for gay males was now 21.
• 1994, age reduced to 18
• 2013 legislation for same sex marriage

Question 16

Give 2 things which are pertinent to what homosexual relationships state.

Answer 16

• Trust, honesty and dignity at all times
• Gender equality and the removal of traditional boundaries associated with gender.
• Fidelity and loyalty

Question 17

For Fletcher, how should moral agents apply situation ethics?

Answer 17

Applying the principle of agape in line with the four working principles and the six fundamental principles.

Question 18

How would situation ethics respond to homosexuality or polygamy?

Answer 18

Would accept it as long as it followed sex laws however for a judge or jury to decide not always the moral agent. The principle of agage should be applied.