ETHICS - SITUATION ETHICS

4 key quotes for situation ethics

- "love is the only universal" fletcher

- "do everything in love" st paul

- "se would only work if men were saints" temple

- "conscience is a verb rather than a noun" fletcher

5 areas of key knowledge for situation ethics

- se developed by fletcher in 60s

- middle ground between antinomianism and legalism

- based on the teachings and examples of jesus who prioritised, advocated and demonstrated agape

- agape is unconditional selfless love for others-not like eros which is romantic love

- christians should seek to do the most loving thing in every situation

4 times jesus used agape

- golden rule

- healing on the sabbath

- parable of the good samaritan

- sacrificial death on the cross

4 presuppositions

- pragmatism

- relativism

- positivism

- personalism

pragmatism in se and ao2

- situation ethics is about seeking practical solutions that will work

- se is grounded in experience not theory

- AO2 - this is a possible strength - provides flexibility and autonomy

relativism

- morality is relative to the particular situation

- situationists never use words such as never or always

- love is the only universal, which is then applied in each situation

positivism and AO2

- se is based upon belief in a god of love

- this means that love is supreme and should always be applied

- AO2 - possible weakness - means that atheists cannot use se

personalism

- se puts people above lawas

- drops the legalists love of law and only accept law of love

- instead of asking what does the law say, ask who is to be helped

6 principles

- love is the only intrisic good

- love is the ruling norm of christian decision making

- love=justice

- love wills the neighbours good whether you like them or not

- only the end justifies the means

- loves decisions are made situationally

love is the only intrisic good

- it is the one regulative principle of christian ethics

- love is the only thing that is always good and right in every situation, without exception

love is the ruling norm of christian decision making

- the ruling norm of christian decision making is agape love

- all christian decision making should be based on agape love

- love can justify breaking any rule

love=justice

- love is justice distributed

- justice is christian love "using it's head" - calculating it's duties

- love is distributed to all within society via justice. it is worked out using agapeic calculus

love wills the neigbours good whether you like them or not

- se is not sentimnetal. agape is not like sympathy or affection

- "christian love is the business of loving the unloveable"

- love needs calculation via the agapeic calculus

only the end justifies the means

- the end goal (love) justifies the mean to get there

- we cannot refuse to do a deed which has a mainly good end just because it entails some evil

loves decisions are made situalnally

- jesus was a situationalist as he was prepared to break laws to do the right thing

- jesus healed on the sabbath and forgave the adulterous women

- jesus did not give teachings on many issues-love therefore decides

3 facts about fletcher's beliefs about the conscience

- conscience is a verb rather than a noun-it is something we do rather than something we have

- it is an active process we engage in the process we take when making moral decisions

- it means using the agapeic calculus to calculate what will maximise love in each situation

4 applications of situation ethics

- homosexual relationships

- embryo research

- lying

- stealing

4 things to remember when applying situation ethics

- a situationist never says never or always

- instead they will say it all depends

- make judgements and decisions situationally

- use agapeic calculus, consider 4 presuppositions and 6 principles

homosexual relationships - application of situation ethics

if the relationship is one in which love is fully served then it may be permissable

embryo research - application of situation ethics

if the end goal is to cure genetic diseases then this is a loving thing to do and the end justifies the means

lying - application of situation ethics

in certain situations, lying may be justified if it for a loving end, context must be considered

stealing - application of situation ethics

in certain situations, for example stealing to feed a starving child, stealing could be allowed

strengths of situation ethics

- gives the individual autonomy

- flexible

- consistent with jesus' teachings on agape

gives the individual autonomy - situation ethics strength

- empowers the individual to make moral decisions for themselves

- they are given the agapeic calculus and trusted to make decisions situationally

flexible - situation ethics strength

- the only absolute is love

- you can apply agapeic love to any particular situation

- it remains relevant and applicable in todays society as it doesn't become outdated

- can be applied to any situation

consistent with jesus' teachings on agape - situation ethics strength

- appealing for many christians

- se gives christians a way to follow his example and teachings

- HOWEVER is love the only thing that he taught? is there not other commands i.e. the 10 commandments?

weaknesses of situation ethics

- barclay - gives a terrifying degree of freedom

- open to exploitation

- depends on belief in god

it gives a terrifying degree of freedom - situation ethics weakness

- it is impossible for the individual to apply in everyday life for example in driving

- society needs more rules more than just love

- could be argued that fletcher's theory could descend into antinomianism

open to exploitation - situation ethics weakness

- human beings are fallible and make mistakes

- some people may use it to justify their acts as doing the most loving thing

- it gives people to much autonomy

- original sin and human nature

depends on belief in god - situation ethics weakness

- the teachings of jesus only have authority for christians as they believe he is the son of god

- positivism is the belief in a god of love

- if someone doesn't believe in a god of love they wouldn't use se

agapeic calculus

used to determine if an action is the most loving thing to do in a situation

7 factors needed to consider when using the agapeic calculus

- duration

- intensity

- propinquity (how near or remote will it be?)

- extent

- certainty

- purity (how free from pain is it?)

- fecundity (will it leader to further love?)

3 similarities of situation ethics compared to nml

- religious theory

- proportionalism also takes the situation into account

- aquinas and fletcher see conscience as more of an act than a thing

3 differences between situation ethics and nml

- nml is deontological

- nml is absolutist

- nml is legalist as it follows the 5 precepts

3 similarities between situation ethics and utilitarianism IGNORE FOR YR12 MOCKS

- both are teological and consequentialist

- bentham's felicific calculus inspires fletcher's agepeic calculus

- se focuses on pragmatism which is similar to the principle of utility

3 differences between situation ethics and utilitarianism IGNORE FOR YR12 MOCKS

- utilitarianism is secular

- bentham's theory is focused on pleasure/happiness rather than love

- situation ethics is positivist whereas utilitarianism is empirically based

difference between situation ethics and kantian ethics IGNORE FOR YR12 MOCKS

- kantian ethics is deontological

NO SIMILARITIES

6 scholars who disagree with situation ethics

- barclay

- augustine

- hobbes

- macquarrie

- christian moralists

- kant

augustine views on situation ethics

human nature is tainted so we cannot be trusted with deciding moral rights and wrongs ourselves

hobbes views on situation ethics

- we need rules to live peacefully

- we act out of selfishness and therefore cannot make the most loving decisions

kant views on situation ethics

- "man must be disciplined for by nature he is raw and wild"

macquarrie views on situation ethics

se is too individualistic and does not focus on society as a whole and is not concerned with future scenarios

christian moralists views on situation ethics

it is incurable, individualistic and subjective because is abandons all absolutes. FLETCHER WOULD AGRUE IT OFFERS ONE ABSOLUTE WHICH IS LOVE

2 scholars who support situation ethics

- tillich

- bishop robinson

tillich views on situation ethics

"the law of love is the ultimate law because it is the negation of law; it is absolute because it concerns everything concrete"

bishop robinson views on situation ethics

"fletcher's approach is the only ethic for man come of age."

barclay's response to bishop robinson

this is probably true but man have not yet come of age