origins of situation ethics + agape love

who was joseph fletcher?

• 1905-1991

• american academic and ordained episcopalian priest

• founded the theory of situation ethics in the 60s, described by supporters as a christian ethic

what are the three basic kinds of thinking according to fletcher?

• legalistic

• antinomian

• situational

what is legalistic ethics?

• has a set of predefined rules and regulations which define how you should behave

• seen in biblical commandments, aquinas’ natural law

what is antinomian ethics?

• the reverse of legalistic, not using any law, principle, or rule in ethical decision making

• fletcher was critical of antinomianism, arguing it was unprincipled and archaic

what is situation ethics?

• how moral an action is depends on the situation and what best serves (agape) love

• the situationist is prepared to set aside the rules/laws of their community if love is better served by doing so

• e.g. euthanasia and abortion as permissible - even though they are acts of killing, they may be the most loving outcome in a situation

how did social change influence situation ethics?

• there was mass social change in the west, the younger generations wanted to be liberated from old fashioned conservative ideals incl. the church’s teachings on sex, marriage and gender roles

• fletcher felt the church needed to reinterpret and modernise traditional teachings to adapt with changing society

how does agape love relate to situation ethics?

• situation ethics proposes that the most moral action is one the promotes the most agape

• agape love has origins in the new testament, as is unconditional love, understood as desiring goodwill for all

• john 3:16 - ‘god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son’

• mark 12:30-31 - ‘love thy neighbour’

• it is self-sacrificing, not self-satisfying