situation ethics

creator

joseph fletcher

what is the desired outcome

Agape the highest form of love

what is situation ethics

taking moral actions not based on a fixed law but based on a rule that is best applied to the situation

law of love

aiming to do the most loving thing for the greatest number

three approaches to moral thinking

1. legalistic - set of fixed laws

2. antinomian- no rules or laws what so ever

3. situational - looking at the context of the situation and applying the necessary law

‘love thy neighbour and those who persecute you’

,

six propositions when making moral decisions

helping make moral decisions

1. only love is intrinsically good - nothing is good in itself eccept agape love

2. love replaces laws

3. justice is love in action they are not seperate

4. love wills the good of your neighbour

5. if the outcome is the most loving then it is right

6. every situation is unique follow love and not fixed rules

four working principles

rules to help determine the right thing to do

1. pragmatism - something that will practically work in the circumstance / is achievable

2. relativism - rules can change based on the situation

3. personalism - the people should be considered when making decisions not the law

4. conscience - using reason to make rational decisions

critique of Barclay

If we insist on being loving than you can justify anything

Immanuel Kant

We shouldn’t justify moral actions based on love but on universal rules