situtional ethics Flashcards
situation ethics
on the particular situation, the interests of the individual person, and love and justice and, might, therefore, permit the breaking of traditional moral rules around sex in day-to day situations
what approach does SE seek
seeks a pragmatic approach to PS and ES and same sex unions, setting aside fixed moral truths in order to put the person and their relationship at the heart of each other.
se view on homosexuality
SE would focuse on the injustices in the way that sexual relationships are regulated: the fact that heterosexual married couples are often viewed as the only form that a legitimate relationship can take would be viewed as unjust.
if a same sex couple can only find a meaningful relationship with one another then that, according to SE, would be the end that justifies breaking rules on who can have sexual relationship.
se view on ES PS
an ES and PS relationship might be viewed as good in some circumstances. for instance, a wife whose husband has early onset Alzheimer’s disease and is in a care home, may find comfort in an extramarital relationships while continuing to care for her husband. SE is always open to breaking traditional ethical rules, including sexual ethical rules, because decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively. it comes down to the situation at hand.
problem with applying SE to sexual ethics
SE puts the needs of the primary protagonist first, which makes it difficult for it to protect broader family interests and the interests of society as a whole. for example parents who have extramarital affairs are putting the happiness of their husband or wife and their children at risk, undermining their own relationship with betrayal, and endangering the security of the upbringing of the children.
is allowing PS relationships the most loving thing to do ?
it might be but what happens if the female partner becomes pregnant and she and her child are abandoned by the male partner?there is therefore, a danger to vulnerable and the young from exploration, then its claims to be about love and justice willl not stand up to scrutiny
