Situation ethics

Situation ethics

View espoused by Joseph Fletcher that there is a single, absolute principle of love to be applied in each situation, to produce the best outcome

Agape

A specific type of love, unconditional love between 2 people. Very early on the word agape was adopted by Christian’s to refer to Jesus’ sacrificial and generous love

Relativism

Opinions change and are relative to the situation

Consequentialist

Cares about the consequences of the action not the action itself

Joseph fletcher

• American ethicist who taught Christian ethics in Massachusetts and Harvard from 1944-1970

• Originally ordained as a priest but became an a ethicist after the publication of his book ‘situation ethics: the new morality’

• Argues that agape is the only consideration that needs to be taken when making a moral decision

Fletchers approach to moral thinking

1. Legalism - fixed moral rules which are universal and always to be followed

2. Antinomian - rejection of all moral las

3. Situational (fletcher) - beleif in the rule of love and that it needs to be applied situationally. Effectively the middle ground between the other 2

4 working principles

1. Pragmatism - we must seek practical solitons which work to achieve success (based on the works of William James and John Dewey)

2. Relativism - rules are not to be seen as fixed and absolute but can be changed according to the situation. Love is still the only reason to act

3. Positivism/conscience - was are things that human beings create; we have to be active in bringing about love by the decisions we make

4. Personalism - people matter more than laws. The needs of people should be considered wen moral actions are taken

6 propositions

1. ‘Only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love, nothing else at all’

2. ‘The ruling norm of Christian decision is love, nothing else’

3. ‘Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed, nothing else‘ (the Good Samaritan)

4. ‘Love wills the neighbour good, whether we like him or not’

5. ‘Only the end justifies the means, nothing else’

6. ‘Loves decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively’

Altruism

Any theory that puts the needs of others before those of oneself

Greek words for love

1. Storage - love based on family connections

2. Philia - close friendship

3. Eros - sexual love

4. Agape - charity/unconditional love

• The Greek background of the word agape suggests a love for humankind

• Thought of by Christian’s to be a summary of the ethics of Jesus

Situation ethics may be seen as a helpful way of making moral decisions

• As it is based on one of the world religions, it is accessible to a large amount of people

• It is based on the idea of love, which is accessible to most people even if they are not religious

• Consequentialist - as the actions which will produce the most love should be taken, we should onl care Abou the outcome of an action

• Goo intentions are all that’s needed

• Wants to produce the mos loving outcome - hard not to get behind

• Agape as a principle is god, and most wold agree with the concept of agape

• The concept is flexible, so each situation can be taken differently and different actions can be taken in those situations

• The concept is selfless, as actions of love should be taken for others

Situation ethics may not be seems as a helpful way of making moral decisions

• Based on Christianity, so not applicable to those who follow other faith systems as is not universal

• There are no boundaries or guidelines for the use of situation ehtics

• Love is very subjective, therefore one persons action of love could be another’s insult

• Actions will not be based on logic but on emotions and feelings which some may not think is the way which ethical decisions should be followed

• The concept is quite vague

• There is no clear timescale for the actions taken

• Assumption based

Kairos

The moment of a decision

Applying love situationally

Situational is is the midpoint between antinomianism and legalism → love, agape, us the ultimate law → when applying agape, we should consider the Sophia and kairos and ask how love can be applied in that specific situation

Sophia

Greek word for wisdom

Case 1 - acceptable abortion

• Fletcher would argue that the most loving thing should be done on this situation, which would likely be to preform the action as the pregnancy resulted from rape, leaving the potential mother unstable

• Also means that hid the baby is born healthy, it would likely not live a good life

• Therefore he would disagree with the denial of abortion in this case

Case 2 - Truman’s dilemma

• case of dropping the atomic bomb on Japan

• This was not the mos loving thing to do as it killed thousands of innocents, not combatants

• Civilians should not have been targeted and therefore it is not the most loving outcome

Ethical judgements should be based on agape because:

• It would make the largest amount of people happy

• It would have the least harmful outcome and therefore cause the least damage

• Probes good intent in the situation

• It is a religious ethic (based on the teachings of Jesus)so very accessible to many

• Selfless ethic

• Flexible, not fixed to situations or absolute

Ethical judgements should not be based on agape

• Love is not applicable in all situations

• The most loving thing to do in a certain situation may not be considered to be morally rights by others, therefore if you do the most loving thing in. Situation others may consider it to not be

• Can contradict human law

• Love is inconsistent in its application and meaning to different people

• People could ignore their own needs in the services of others

• Love can lead to a bad situation or bad decision being made

• Unreliable/uncertain

• Not rational, based on emotion

Agape in Christian tradition

• Agape led many Christian’s in the 1st century to the idea that a loving god and loving ones neighbour were the 2 most important commandments

• Fletcher argues that there are many examples of Jesus bringing about a more loving outcome and that Jesus’ ethics were based on agape

  • Broke Shabbat to heal people

  • Allowed people to pick/eat grain on Shabbat

  • Story of the Good Samaritan

Deontological

Based on the act that is takin place regardless of outcome

Teleological

Based on the outcome of an action

Key quotes

• “If i give al i possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that i may boast, but do not have love, i gain nothing… and now these 3 things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” - Paul in Corinthians

• “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister who is still in the darkness. Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothin in them to make them stumble” - John

• “There is only one ultimate and invariable duty, and its formula is ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’. How to do this is another question, but this is the whole of moral duty” - William temple

William Temple

• British churchman, economist and philosophical theologian

• The only son of the Archbishop of Canterbury to become the Archbishop of Canterbury himself

• Temples approach to ethics very closely follows that of fletcher - personalism and love-centred

Situation ethics is seen as a religious ethical theory

• Very clary based on the works/teachings of Jesus

• Clear opposition of legalism - religion isn’t have to be based on hard and fast rules

• Many times the idea of love being the key faith is found in the teachings of Jesus

Situation ethics should not be seen as a religious ethics

• Rejected by the established church. Condemned by Pope Pius XII. Clearly opposed to natural law on several issues (e.g., abortion care)

• Selective use of the words of Jesus, condemned adultery/divorce, speaks mostly about hell

• Jesus tells his disciples that if they love him, they are to obey his commandments- implies that there are commandments other than love

• Concept of agape is not explicitly Christian

Act utilitarianism

Belief that we should always preform the act which will lead to the greatest balance of good over evil

Other opinions on conscious

1. John Henry Newman (1801-90) - conscinece is he voice of god within us

2. Aquinas - our inbuilt reasoning tool. Our store of reliable rules to which people can refer

Fletcher on conscience

• Conscinece is a verb not a noun

• Conscience describes what people Dow hen they are trying to make moral decisions are are weighing things up

It can be argued that situation ethics is not too individualistic and subjective

1. Gives responsibility and autonomy in moral decision making. Treats individuals as adults

2. Flexibility - what is right for one person in a spesifically situation may not suit another person who is faced with a slightly different situation

It can be argued that situation ethics is too individualistic and subjective

1. Could never be applied universally/within society, as views on love differ

2. To overlay optimistic about our own capacity to reasonably reach moral decision

3. Fletchers view on conscience as being a key process in decision making is a little vague in terms of detail