Eduqas Alevel RS Theme 3: A and B Joseph Fletchers situation ethics

what is legalism

an approach to ethics that accepts the absolute nature of rules of principles

what is antinomianism

a theory of ethics that does not recognise the authority of but promotes freedom from external rules, from the Greek word meaning lawless

what does agape mean

selfless unconditional care and concern for others

who was Joseph Fletcher

an American priest and professor. He was writing in a post war era when society was rejecting the rigidity of legalistic systems like natural law. Society wanted to break free form the restrictive lifestyle. He was also responding to the more antinomian, free love movement and existentialist philosophy that encouraged people to create themselves without guidance from authority.

what is natural law

a body of unchanging moral principles regarded as a basis for all human conduct.

what is existentialism

rejects pre existent soul/ purpose instead we create our own self

why did Fletcher reject legalism/ tyranny

- it was too restrictive and inflexible

- lacked compassion of the people facing challenges

- puts laws before the people

- it led to immorality by forcing people to obey laws even if it harmed them

- fails to consider context

- "what can be worse, no casuistry at all may reveal punishing and sadistic use of law to hurt people"

what does tyranny mean

Cruel and oppressive government or rule

what does anarchy mean

government by no one

why did fletcher reject antinomianism

- it was an adhoc or random in just approach

- too confusing as it prevents people having even the basic rules that protect them

- leads to chaos

- did not protect the vulnerable people

- inconsistent and unprincipled

- "the christian ethicist agrees with Bertrand and Russel and his implied judgement, too this day christians think that an adulterer is more wicked than a politician who takes bribe, although the latter is probably 1000 times worse as causes much more harm"

what is the middle way

known as a hybrid ethic that is pushed in the methodist church by John Wesley. It is bout Agape and unconditional love. One norm in all situation ethics is agape, every decision must see that love is best served, right or wrong is not binary and is fluid.

what does the middle way do

considers the situation before anything else, then deciding what to do is right depends on the practical appreciation of Christian love (agape) not referring to set rules. Still held on to reason is decision making. Accepted scripture as crucial, accepting revelation as the source of the norm but rejecting the revealed laws like the commandments

what does fletcher see the laws like

he sees laws are like illuminations, not directions and sees agape as the ruling principle

how does the middle way overcome the shortcomings of antinomianism and legalism?

Relativistic = no universal moral rules but explore each situation, the only norm is love which is used as a binding factor. Whilst this is the summary commandment love responds differently in different situations which makes this truly Relativistic

Consequentialist = make decisions based on the outcome of the action it considered what is right and wrong by looking forward. But cant predict the outcome

Teleological = concerned with purpose end goal should always be which brings the most love

what biblical evidence is there of the agape approach

1. Jesus stops a woman from being stoned to death due to cheating. He forgives her.

2. Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath when it is forbidden to work.

3. Jesus teaches that we should love our enemies

what is the role of conscience

fletcher felt that conscience was valuable in moral decision making but rejected the definitions given by other thinkers. Our conscience does not direct us instead it is a process that we go through when we apply our reasoning to a specific problem that needs to be solved.

what is conscience not

- God's voice/ supernatural guide

- Backward looking, assessing the things you have done/guilt

- ignition or radar that instinctively knows what is right or wrong

what conscience is

a verb not a noun (it isn't a think we are noun)

creative, flexible and forward looking

practical, problem - solving

what guided fletcher to place love above law

LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR WHOEVER LOVES OTHERS HAS FULFILLED THE LAW ROMANS 13:8 If you love you have adhered to the love regardless overarching commandment

Love is patient and kind, love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. So now faith, hope and love abide these three but the greatest if these is love

Our ability to express love is the most important thing, his catalyst to finding situation ethics - His rule of situation ethics, and the only rule that should be followed. A rule is supposed to illuminate not dictate

what does Fletcher reject about conscience

traditionally christians believe it is inbuilt and intuition like an innate radar. An inspiration from an outside thing not an internalised value not based on moral judgement

what does fletcher thing conscience is

- function not a faculty, verb not a noun it is something you use and do

- it is a process not something that simply exists

- he believes that scholars have misunderstanding of it

- he believes it is not the feeling of guilt

- looking forward, how can I use reason to solve perspective problems

what are the two set scriptures that helped show agape

- the parable of the good samaratian = A lawyer asked Jesus how you get eternal life. Jesus replied with "love the lord your God with all your heart and your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and love your neighbour as yourself.

- Jesus told the story of the samaratian who was ignored by many including a priest but was helped by someone of a civilisation that did not get on with the smaratians people but he put this aside to help the man. Took him to an inland payed for his expenses and checked on him. The samavrtain is the neighbour you need to look after.

- The teaching of Paul from Corinthians

"if I give alway all I have and if I deliver up my body to bed burned but have not love then I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrong doing but rejoices in truth. Love bears all things, believes all things hopes all things and endures all things. Love never ends"

what are the 4 working principles

these are practical solutions that are the opposite to natural law, as each one is carefully created for each situation and has the centre of love in each.

1. Pragmatism = for an action to be right it has to be practical. It must work for example in the case of Jodie and Mary the catholic church wanted to let both fie. To kill one but save the other would be an evil to bad act. Fletcher disagreed letting both girls die is not pragmatic, it if far Better to have one survive than neither.

2. Relativism = it relativises the absolute, it does not absolute the relative. These laws are flexible things that are absolute relative to the situation. This means that rules (absolutes) don't always apply, they depend on they depend on the situation. Such as do not steal becomes relative to love if love demands stealing for the hungry you steal. However it doesn't mean anything goes. It is situation specific the only absolute is agape

3. Positivism = you have to start with a positive choice, you need to want to do God. There Is no rational answer to why should I love? You need to choose willingly to do the most loving thing, faith and choice first through a voluntary way. Jesus cutting crops on the Sabbath shows that He puts love above the law.

4. Personalism = situation ethics puts people first. People are more important than rules "man was not made for the sabbath, the sabbath was made for the man." base every decision on the people it will effect. look at those involved and become concerned in what happens to them. Jodie and Mary concerned with them and their parents only not the random guy in the hospital room next to them.

what are the positives and weaknesses of pragmatism (working principle)

strength:

- each ethical dilemma is looked separately meaning each case is individual and the result fits the needs, each solution is designed exactly for the case

- ensures love is served

weakness:

- conflicting views, how do you choose who is more important and who to follow. What If the parents had different wishes?

- the word pragmatism is subjective and can mean different to others

- cant scale it to society level as there is no way everyone could be happy

what are the positives and weaknesses of relativism (working principle)

strength:

- allows more compassion than natural law e.g abortion (as they have to follow the precepts such as preserve innocent life)

- flexible and loving

- prevents being pressed by laws

weakness:

- sometimes rules are needed to keep oder, help systems are needed, ethical slippery slopes

- moral chaos

- impractical and time consuming

- if it is left to personal perspective how do you judge right and wrong

what are the positives and weaknesses of positivism (working principle)

strengths:

- you need to want to do good which means that the action will truly have good intentions

- follow Jesus example

- acting freely you are driven by obligation, choices become more meaningful

weakness:

- sometimes a reason is needed, in complex situations not putting reason first is dangerous Love is only an emotion which will cloud judgement

- naturally we are self interested taking out reason leaves us stuck

what are the positives and weaknesses of personalism (working principle)

strength:

- cant us the law to punish people which other ethical theories use

- Hope the outcome is always good, do what they need

- leads to a happier society

weakness:

- some times there may be too many people to think about

- which people Jodie or Mary , one dies and one lives and will have an affect on the other one. If you put people fist it is not comparable with human law.

what are the six fundamental principles

Love is the only good = love supersedes everything else. Love is an active principle, it is something that we do through our actions.

love is the ruling norm of Christianity = the only abolsute in our lives is love. For Fletcher love is the new covenant, replacing old laws, love is the only agreement we have. "love is a distillation of the spirit of love rathe than a compendium of the legalistic rules." meaning having a regular legal system makes it harder to show Love

love equals justice, love for all = to ensure justice, love and justice are synomanous. Fletcher says that justice is giving to a human that which they are entitled. You centavo love without justice and vice versa, as they go hand in hand such as stealing for a starving child.

love wills the neighbours good whether we like him or not = agape does not discriminate or become affected by personal preference. There is a big ask for people but central to the christian thought and teaching demonstrated through the good samaritan, unconditional love to anyone regardless of who they are. Love becomes kenotic = emptying oneself to give love to someone else even if you don't like them

loving ends justify the means = bad intentions or the outcome is bad is not promised e.g capital punishment. direct rejection f the deontological ethics, only tell the truth id the outcome means love. You can't claim to follow a rule if it causes harm you can break laws if it achieves a better outcome. End justifies the means can lead to an ethical slippery slope and you can then start to justify immoral acts

love decides situationally = we have become slaves to the laws we must makes decisions based on what the situations are. Relavist. Laws are put in place to restrict people but that can sometimes not be fair and can stop love being shown

why does fletcher have the 6 fundamental principles

guide us in decision making, of significance and importance and grounded in love and love for thy neighbour.

what is the consequentialist theory

Ethical theories in which rightness or wrongness of action depends on consequences of act, rather than nature of act itself

what is the ethical story of the man who could die now or spend thousands to die in a year

The patient only had a set time to live, the doctors said that they could give him pills to let him live for three more years but the insurance would only cover so much and they would not renew it when it expires in a couple of months so they would have to spend out of pocket on the pills. But id he didn't take the pills the would be left with security from the insurance.

--> here love is best served to his family. Pragmagtism says it is practical to not take the pills as he will die soon anyway. Personalism says he should put his family first that's the most loving thing to do. Positivism says faith after death will prevail and the family will still be okay after he passes on and he will be able to go to heaven. Relativism says look at the situation where there is agape. it would be preventing the elongation of his life. His family would have security from the insurance loving thing to do.

what is the ethical story about the woman who could stop the war by sleeping with the enemy to get secrets.

He was reading a book on the plane to New York and next to him sat young woman she showed interest in his book and then asked if he could help her decide, there was a war going on the government believed could be stopped by some clever use of espionage and blackmail. However this meant she had to sleep with an enemy spy in order to lower him into blackmail now this went against her tomorrow but if it brought the water saving thousands of lives, would it be worth breaking these standards? Pragmatism says has to have the best outcome for everyone else by saving thousands of people. It's the most practical way. person says she can put all innocent lives 1st and save them as it's the most loving thing to do positivism says acting free to innocent lives but even if it is not positive and compromises her morals is for the greater good. Relativism says the situation for this it's the most loving thing to do and love is best served.

what is the ethical story about Mrs Bergmeier

The Russian army drove Westwood to meet the Americans and the British Soviet patrol vehicle picked up Mrs Burger while she was foraging for food for her three children. She was taking to a prisoner of War camp in Ukraine. Her husband had been captured in the battle of bulge and taken to Britain prisoner of War camp in Wales. When he returned to Berlin he spent months rounding up the children although they couldn't find the mother, she needed to get back as her family a situation of hunger chaos mrs Bergemier Learnt through a sympathetic commandment that her husband and family were trying to keep together and find her but the rules allowed them to release us to Germany. Only if she was pregnant in which case she'd be returned as a liability she slept friendly camp guard and became pregnant and was sent back to Berlin to her family. When she got back, they welcomed her with open arms even when she told them how she managed it when the child was born they all loved him because of what he had done for them. Pragmatism says it was the only practical way to get out alive and back to support the family which is the most loving thing to do person says that she has to put her family first and go against morals positivism says she had faith that she could return to her family and she chose to get herself out to support them relativism says she looked at the situation and saw as the only way to get out was by breaking the law. It was the correct thing to do.

what is the ethical story about the bomb dropped on Hiroshima

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima the plane crew went silent. Another one fell on Nagasaki about 152,000 were killed and many more times so wounded and burned and many more died later the next day Japan sued for peace when deciding whether to use the most horrible weapon ever known the US president appointed a committee made up of distinguished and responsible people in the government but not all of the military advises favoured. It scientists said they could find no other except the way they believe that by using it saved many thousands more lives than if they had let the water carry on. Pragmatism says it is an outcome that is not good and not loving but practically it will end the war saving everybody else so should be done person says it would lead to happiest society but not for those directly affect positive says the obligation was high but the love and happiness that could've been avoided is great

what is the boss principle

Agape

- overriding principle that has priority over all other laws

There are three types:

- chesed = Hebrew = refers to a love between God and His people. Consistent, faithful, strong. 10 plagues willing to commit atrocities to save his people.

- Aheb = Hebrew = Spontaneous and impulsive and comes humans to other humans and to God. Most basic form of agape.

- The commandments = Love God, love thy neighbour. Jesus simplified the 10 to these two. What a difference it makes when love understood agapeically is bias when love is the only normal, how free and therefore responsible we are

"The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath"

a day of rest is not something you have to abide by, love is more important

how does Jesus defying the sabbath link to fletchers situation ethics

love is more important, Jesus is evidencing that it is overruling over everything else. He was willing to reject legalism.

what is situation ethics

an ethical system that determines the good or evil nature of an act from the circumstances, with the sole goal of Love leading the way