situation ethics

what did fletcher want to avoid with situation ethics?

1. legalism
   using too many rigid rules→ e.g. 613 mitzvot
   

2. antinomianism
   rejection of moral laws and replacing them with the individual making decisions

why does fletcher want to avoid legalism?

jesus says it focuses on minor issues and misses major ideas

what is the only rule of situation ethics?

do the most loving thing
→ applied to every situation

name the 4 foundational principles of situation ethics

1. pragmatism
   the decision needs to have positive outcomes
   

2. relativism
   right thing to do depends on context
   always and never should be avoided
   

3. positivism
   we decide what is wrong or right for every situation to allow for best outcome
   

4. personalism
   place people above rules
   → e.g. adulterous woman

what are the six propositions of S.E.

A- always: only thing which is always good is love

G- gospel: christians should use this approach because jesus does

A- attitude: love is an attitude, not a feeling. → a commitment to treating others well
P- proportionate: love and justice are the same

E- ends: the end justifies the means if our means is love

+

decisions have to be made according to situation, not generally

what is agape?

• unconditional, selfless love - shown by god and jesus

• when fletcher talks about love, he’s referring to agape

• agape is the greatest type of love because it is selfless and exists regardless of circumstances

• agape isn’t natural to us and can only be practised with god’s help

name 3 strengths of situation ethics

1. flexible
   can deal with exceptional situations to create the best outcomes. absolutist theories struggle with these situations (e.g. clashing duties). whereas situation ethics allows for choice

2. bible
   adulterous woman

3. hard to disagree with principle
   love is hard to go against as it does create compassionate outcomes unlike util which focuses on pain and pleasure

name 3 limitations of situation ethics

1. too subjective with no moral boundaries
   people can justify doing bad things under it being their interpretation of love. for example, you could kill a bully for someone, but that doesn’t make it moral

2. kant
   we can’t predict consequences so we need to follow our duty (e.g. categorical imperatives and duty). you don’t know if you saved a baby’s life over a grandma’s, the baby wouldn’t become a dictator

3. too vague
   the most loving thing isn’t always clear so there needs to be some sort of guideline to help us make this decision
   → augustine: as fallen humans our reason is impaired and so we need to follow the bible’s teachings

explain the mrs bergmeier example

• a woman (wife and mother) was picked up by the russian army in ww2

• she was put in a POW camp

• she knew her family was safe back home in germany and found out the only way to get back home is to be pregnant

• she had sex with a guard to help her

• she returned home and the family raised this child as their own

why should agape be used?

1. religious thinkers
   sums up the most important commandments and what is given to us by Jesus- love thy neighbour and forgiveness
   

2. flexible
   helps us know when to accept general rules and when to break them (e.g. bergmier)
   

3. hard to manipulate
   it doesn’t seem as easy to manipulate as utilitarianism. it can’t justify murder or rape or racism

name 3 reasons agape shouldn’t be used

1. only in severe and unusual cases
   general rules should be applied to life!!! using agape all the time could lead to lawyers being able to argue criminals should be able to get away with stuff they shouldn’t be able to- e.g. murdering bully example
   

2. other things should be used
   primary precepts, duty, pleasure
   

3. ten commandments
   god reveals direcrly through jesus and 10 commandments general laws to use. if we try to use agape we might be led away from god unintentionally
   → counterpoint: adulterous woman

name 3 times jesus used situation ethics

1. adulterous woman

2. good samartian

3. break the sabbath to heal people (considered work)

explain the example of the adulterous woman

• a woman is caught in adultery and is supposed to be stoned

• jesus challenges them by saying whoever without sin should throw the first stone

• her fear was enough of a punishment so jesus just told her not to sin again

• shows the most loving thing to do is save the woman as she is sorry → person centered

explain the good samaritan example

• it was seen as a sin to touch a dead body in jesus’ time

• a man was beaten up and left half dead on the side of the road

• a priest came along and ignored him to not break kosher law

• a devout jew did and did the same

• a samaritan (hated by jews) walked by and helped him → soothed wounds and took him to an inn (and paid cost)

• shows people> rules

name 2 strengths for situation ethics being a religious theory

1. clearly used by jesus and suggested 2 main commands: love thy neighbour and love god
   

2. jesus attitudes in previous stories show he dislikes legalism

name 3 limitations for situation ethics as a religious theory

1. rejected by church
   condemned at the time it was created → natural law is prefeered
   

2. too selective
   jesus spoke a lot more about hell than heaven and condems adultery. suggests that specific areas may have just been picked to back up the theory rather than the theory being there
   

3. jesus’ says…
   tells disciples if they love him they need to obey the commandments- implies there is more to commandments than love and that they are incredibly important

how does fletcher see conscience

• it is a verb rather than a noun- its a process that we do

• the process is of deciding something

• it is the decision maker, not the reviewer of decisions

• individual situations are unique, and christians use conscience to apply love after prayer and consideration

• moral principles should be considered but they aren’t the decider

• process is called conscience-ing

name 2 ways situation ethics is too subjective

1. cognitive dissonance
   makes it too difficult to accept evidence that goes against a belief we have
   we may do something wrong because we’ve convinced ourself it’s true reason and its the best outcome just because that’s the one we want
   e.g. might choose family member over someone else to die
   → kant might be better
   

2. differences across societies
   views of love differ across socities and people
   legalistic views and rules are needed to keep order → e.g. do not kill
   → natural law might be better as it allows flexibility and order

name 2 reasons situation ethics isn’t too subjective

1. gives people autonomy
   allows them to control their life and make their own decision
   respects the free will god gave us
   treats us with dignity
   

2. context
   situations and contexts differ greatly
   it is important we are flexible with it
   it recognises that what is right for one case is wrong for others

   → e.g. mrs bergmeier