Theme 3 (Teleological Ethics)

Question 1

What is situation ethics?

+ who made it famous?

Answer 1

A relativist theory of ethics

+ Joseph Fletcher

Question 2

What is the background to situation ethics?

+ what did J.A.T Robinson release?

Answer 2

Came about in 1960s after a series of significant worldwide events.
- post war generation threw off the shackles of authority & law
- Church facing drastic changes
- reliable contraception available

+ a highly controversial book

Question 3

How does the Parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrate agape?

Answer 3

• good nature & good will
• generosity
• freely given
• unconditional
• helping others regardless of what they might think of you

Question 4

What are the 3 types of ethical theory?

Answer 4

Legalist ethics
Antinomian ethics
Situation ethics

Question 5

What is Legalist Ethics?

+ what does Fletcher say about it (+ quote)?

Answer 5

• set of prefabricated moral rules and regulations (e.g 10 Commandments and Natural Law for Christians)

+ when there are lots of laws for one thing it becomes unclear what to do
“puritanical choking web of laws”
+ rejects it and says it needs more flexibility

Question 6

What is Antinomian Ethics?

+ what does Fletcher think of it (+ quote)?

Answer 6

• doesn’t really use an ethical system at all (anarchist)
• making a more decision is spontaneous
• enters decision- making as of each occasion is totally unique

+ critical of it as it’s in unprincipled
“ unprincipled, purely ad hoc and casual”

Question 7

What is Situation Ethics?

+ what does Fletcher say about it (+ quote)?

Answer 7

• situationist is prepared to set aside moral rules in the if they believe it will create a loving situation
• all moral decisions are hypothetical
• lying is justified if love is better served by it

+ “The situationist follows a moral law or violates it according to love’s need”

Question 8

Quotes which Fletcher uses to support Situation Ethics?

Answer 8

“love your neighbour as yourself”
“The one who had mercy on him”

"”if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing”
“faith, hope and love… but the greatest of these is love”
“love is patient, love is kind”

“love one another”

Question 9

What are the 4 Presuppositions?

Answer 9

Pragmatism
Relativism
Theological Positivism
Personalism

Question 10

What is pragmatism?

+ what is relativism?

Answer 10

• decision made must be practical and work in each situation
• love is the overriding principle
• Church teaching rejected if not practical

+ decision based on the situation. Different outcomes every time
+ love is applied differently in each situation

Question 11

What is theological positivism?

+ what is personalism?

Answer 11

• Faith is accepted on a voluntary basis
• Agape can be accepted by anyone
• People should act in a way which follows their belief

+ ethics cannot be separate from people
+ people are more sacred than rules
+ love as primary standard

Question 12

What are Fletcher’s 4 Presuppositions?

Answer 12

Pragmatism
Relativism
Theological Positivism
Personalism

Question 13

What is Pragmatism?

+ what is Relativism?

Answer 13

• must be practical and work in each situation
• love is overriding principle
• church reaching rejected if not practical

+ each situation is different
+ love must be applied differently in each situation

Question 14

What is Theological Positivism?

+ what is Personalism?

Answer 14

• situation ethics depends on people freely choosing to be Christian
• if you believe in a religious principle then you should act in this way

+ ethics cannot be separated from people
+ people are more sacred than rules

Question 15

4 Presupposition Quotes

Answer 15

“ love relativises the absolute” (Fletcher)
“Faith working through love”
“We love because he fist loved us”
“Treat people as ends, never as a means to an end” (Kant)

Question 16

What are Fletcher’s 6 Fundamentals?

Answer 16

1) “Only one thing is intrinsically good;namely love:nothing else at all”

2) “the ultimate norm of Christian decisions is love:nothing else”

3) “love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else”

4) “love wills the neighbour’s good, whether we like him or not”

5) “only the end justifies the means, nothing else”

6) “loves decisions are made situationally;not prescriptively”

Question 17

What do Fletcher’s First 3 Fundamentals mean?

Answer 17

1) actions are evil/good depending on how much love they produce in their circumstance

2) the commandments are not absolute

3) agape means standing up for justice and representing the oppressed

Question 18

What do Fletcher’s Second 3 Fundamentals mean?

+ what does number 4 link to?

Answer 18

4) selfless, unconditional love should be shown towards others (+link to karma & apparent/real goods)

5) consider every action in light of its consequences (end must be a loving result)

6) whether something is right or wrong is dependent on the individual situation
Demands of situation over-ride deontological rules

Question 19

Do Fletcher’s fundamental and working principles generally support/not support homosexuality?

+ examples

Answer 19

Support

+ Personalism: we need to put law aside and focus on people (as long as agape is involved it is fine)

+ Relativism: if it is right for those involved it should be accepted

+ Justice: if no-one is being treated unjustly it is fine

+ Situationally: not all are right similar to not all hetero relationships are right (agape=right)

Question 20

How can Fletcher’s 4 working principles & six fundamental principles be applied to homosexuality & polamory?

Answer 20

Situation Ethics for the majority supports homosexuality as long as it involves agape

Situation Ethics for the majority does not support polyamory as it does not see having multiple partners as the most loving outcome due to adultery

Question 21

Advantages & Disadvantages of polyamory?

Answer 21

+ may avoid heartbreak
+ encourages openness w your partner
+ stronger support network
+ may be able to have deep friendships w members of the opposite sex
+ might encourage more loving & caring behaviour
+ opens us up to more possibilites

• takes up lots of time & energy
• diff partners will have diff expectations
• jealousy issues
• cultural conditioning works against this

Question 22

How is polyamory different to swinging?

+ What does the Bible say about open marriage (polyamory) & swinging?

(Quotes?)

Answer 22

• polyamory involves emotional love and swinging is only casual sex

+ sex outside marriage is adulterous & immoral
+ polyamory is adultery despite spouses permission so breaks 10 commandments
+ marriage is sacred and polyamory breaks this sacrament
+ married couple cannot fully love each other if another partner is involved (‘one-flesh’)
+ polyamory is purely lust

(“every intention of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil continually” & without God “everyone does what is right in his own eyes”)

Question 23

Strengths of Situation Ethics
(Include a quote for each)

Answer 23

+ flexible and adaptable
“Jesus did not leave absolute rules, for they would become quickly outdated” (Harvey)

+ simple & has one rule: do most living thing
“no principle or rule, other than love is always reliable” (Childress)

+ love beyond duty
“Love addresses itself to others needs, not to their rights” (Baelz)

+ moral maturity & individual responsibility
“Ethics for man come of age” (Robinson)

+ people at the centre
“Cares for the individual as an individual “ (Baelz)

+ practical
“lesser of two evils”

+ Christian ethic (modelled on Jesus’ teachings)

Question 24

Weaknesses of Situation Ethics

Answer 24

• teleological & we can’t accurately predict most loving outcome
  “It isn’t easy to deter in all the consequences of an action” (Bowie)
• some things are wrong & unjustifiable
• rules are necessary & provide security
  “If everyone kept to the rules then love may be better served” (Baelz)
  “It gives us a terrifying sense of freedom” (Barclay)
• exceptional cases may not apply to everyday life
• Are we morally mature enough to decide as man is not selfless?
  “ ideas of unconditional love may be polluted by selfish human tendency” (Bowie)