Situation Ethics Flashcards
Who developed the theory?
Joseph Fletcher an American Christian priest that later converted to Atheism
What’s the context behind it’s creation ?
Church membership was on the decline as secular society started to emerge in the West due to social changes of the two World wars, development of science, outdated commandments etc.
JF thought Christianity needed a new focus so he would mould this ethical method around St Paul, Moses and Jesus.
What is legalism?
A system in which rules and regulations are strictly followed no matter what. Such as the 10 commandments.
What is antinomianism?
View which rejects laws or legalism and argues against moral, religious or social norms, or is at least considered to do so. Acts as we please.
What is Situation Ethics?
The midway between antinomianism and legalism where we should follow moral guidelines but not be afraid to bypass in the name of agape love.
What are the primary principles?
Pragmatism
Relativism
Positivism
Personalism
What is pragmatism?
Doing what works and being concerned about doing good things for good people, it is simply what works when maximising the love.
What is relativism?
That we apply the agape principle relative to each situation. Every situation is unique.
What is positivism?
It’s all about choice. We are not made to follow and creed or commandment but we choose to act in a loving manner simply as it is the right thing to do.
What is personalism?
Focuses on people and their needs. People should always be the centre to decision making as real existence and morality thrives on relationships
What is JF view of the conscience?
1) It is a built in faculty
2) That there is guidance by the holy spirit or by an angle or some other entity
3) That it is internalised values of society
4) That conscience is the reason behind moral judgements
Rather than a review officer as the Catholic church treats what you have done rather it works in retrospective where it chooses what love demands in a certain situation. So the conscience is viewed as something we DO when calculating how love is best served in a situation.
What are the 6 pre suppositions?
1) Love only is always Good
2) Love is the only norm (rule)
3) Justice = Love
4) Love is not liking
5) The End provides justice (consequential)
6) Love’s decisions are made situationally
What are the Weaknesses?
1) It can justify any action that one would not perceive to be loving
2) Defining what love is and it’s application is difficult. Can war be loving?
3) Irrational we do not know the scope of our actions and whether conclusively they will be seen as ‘loving’
What are the strengths?
1) Humanistic, puts people as a central point to ethical issues which in turn tries to better mankind ‘Sabbath was made for the man’
2) Adaptive.. Unlike some legalism conventions situation ethics is culturally adaptive to social and scientific progression
3) Flexible. Not being completely bound by a creed allows suitable ethical outcomes which a denotolgical theory may struggle with like
