Situation Ethics

Antinomianism

Abandonment of all rules

Secular

Ideology that any religious practice or symbol that are excluded from the public sphere + limited to the private sphere e.g home

Legalism

Adherence to previously established rules

Dues ex machina

A supernatural being who intervenes in the world from outside it

Agape

Noble love

4 Working principles

Pragmatism, Relativism, Personalism, Positivism

Old morality

The strict application of Torah Law/ Legalism

New morality

Jesus’ idea of how the law should be applied

Situation Ethics

The method of ethical decision making that states that you must consider noble love (agape) in decision making, and that a moral decision is correct IF it is the most loving thing to do.

Pragmatism

A practical way of doing things

Positivism

Something that you can verify through experience/observations

Personalism

Something that is personal to the individual

Falsification

Falsification of a statement through evidence / observation

Fletcher’s main quote

“Morality of an action depends on the situation”

Pope Pious XII’s Criticisms

• Situation Ethics is subjective as decisions are made from what the situation is perceived to be

• Let’s you use love as a justification for doing harmful things

• Individualistic as humans see things from their own perspective. Unconditional love can be polluted by selfish human desires.

Barclay’s Criticisms

• Situation ethics does not follow any rules/laws which are critical for a society to function otherwise people will make their own unethical judgements

• Laws have been proven to be beneficial and useful

• Fletcher uses unusual and extraordinary examples which are much easier to argue with

‘man come of age’

• Said by Robinson

• The view that a man is mature and developed enough to make ethical decisions themselves without God’s help.

Four love types

• Written by CS Lewis

• Storge - affection for familiar people such as family

• Philia - Friendship love that is a strong, non-romantic connection between two people

• Eros - Romantic love between two people

• Agape - An unconditional love

Fletcher’s 6 fundamental principles

• Only one thing is intrinsically good; love and nothing else at all

• The ruling norm of Christian decision is love: nothing else

• Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else

• 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

Fletcher’s examples of Agape love

• A woman killing her crying baby in order to prevent a group of people from being attacked whilst trying to escape

• A prisoner of war committing adultery with a guard to become pregnant and return to her family

Strengths of Situation Ethics

• Responds to the changing social and moral climate to provide a realistic Christian alternative

• Remains within Jesus’ teachings + his rejection of legalism

• Provides flexibility to respond to individual situations