ethics - situation ethics (ao1)

who came up with this?

joseph fletcher

situationism

right or wrong depend on the context of a situation rather than rigid, universal rules - believes universally in the rule of love being the only intrinsically good thing

legalism

the belief that moral rules should be ‘put above people’ and followed all of the time, universal and fixed at all times

antinomianism

the belief that people are above rules always, rules should be rejected, ‘rules were made to be broken’ 

agape 

unconditional love, charity; the basis of all ethical decisions for this theory - fletcher’s middleground between antinomianism and legalism 

four working principles

pragmatism- what is loving must be practical

personalism- people are more important than rules 

relativism- what is loving is relative to the situation 

positivism- love should be the basis of all decision making 

six propositions

-only the ends justify the means

-love is the guiding principle for christians

-love and justice is the same

-love is the only intrinisically good thing

-love wills the neighbour good whether we like them or not

-loves decisions are made situationally