The six fundamental principles Flashcards
What is the first fundamental principle of Fletcher’s Situation Ethics?
Only love is intrinsically good.
Everything else has conditional value depending on whether it helps or hurts people, but love is always unconditionally and therefore intrinsically good
According to Fletcher’s second principle, what is the ruling norm of Christian decision?
Love; nothing else.
How does Fletcher define justice in relation to love in his third principle?
Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed. Maximizing agape is the only ethical goal, and justice is merely the fair distribution of love.
What does the fourth principle say about loving our neighbors?
Love wills the neighbour’s good whether we like him or not. Jesus called on us to love our neighbour no matter who they are, including people we don’t like.
What does Fletcher’s fifth principle state about the ends and means in ethics?
Only the end justifies the means; nothing else. If the consequence of an action is the most loving possible, then it is good, regardless of the action.
What does the sixth principle say about making moral decisions?
Love decides there and then. When faced with a moral choice, we have to decide in that situation what the right thing to do is based on love.
What does Fletcher mean by saying “Only love is intrinsically good”?
Love is always unconditionally and intrinsically good, whereas everything else has conditional value depending on whether it helps or hurts people.
Why does Fletcher argue that the ruling norm of Christian decision is love?
Because love is the central guiding principle in Christian ethics, taking precedence over all other norms.
How does Fletcher’s principle equate justice with love?
By stating that justice is love distributed, meaning that justice is essentially about how widely and fairly love is distributed among people.
What is significant about the command to love our neighbor in Fletcher’s ethics?
It emphasizes that we must will the good of our neighbor regardless of personal feelings, aligning with Jesus’ teaching to love all people.
How does Fletcher’s principle about ends and means reflect his consequentialism?
It asserts that the moral value of an action is determined by its outcome, specifically whether it maximizes love (agape).
How does the sixth principle guide decision-making in Fletcher’s Situation Ethics?
It stresses that moral decisions must be made in the context of each unique situation, with love as the guiding factor.
