Situation ethics

What type do argument is situation ethics?

Teleological theory argument- looks at the consequences and circumstances of a situation

Who created situation ethics?

Joseph Fletcher

What is situation ethics?

Christian ethics, love is the most important thing

What is Agape love?

Unconditional and selfless love

The four working principles (Fletcher)

1. Pragmatism- outcomes of an action rather than the absolute truths (practical)

2. Positivism- knowledge should be based on observations and holds sensory experience

3. Relativism- looks at the consequences and circumstances of the situation

4. Personalism- people over rules, emphasises the importance of human dignity and uniqueness of the human person

Antionmianism and legalism

No laws or rules to govern a persons behaviour

Legalism- laws and rules are the guide for behaviour

The six propositions (Fletcher)

1. No act is right to wrong, only love is intrinsically good

2. Love is the answer, replaced the laws with the principle of love

3. Love and justice are the same thing, justice is love applied

4. Agape love is selfless and does not require anything in return

5. Looking at the consequences of decisions, love is the end

6. Loves decisions are made situationally not prescriptively

William Brown ship example

Single men were thrown off the side of the ship and died, when they refused to jump out

Was the most loving thing to do in this situation

Rudolf Bultmann

He argued that Jesus did not seek to establish some new ethical ideology or laws

Aquinas (Against SE)

NML contrasts with SE

He argued that something is good if it fulfils its telos, found in the natural order of the universe set by God

He didn’t believe that love is the main guide for humans to make moral, ethical decisions it’s reason/rationality

Robert Bowie (Against SE)

Situation ethics is too individualistic because humans see things from their own perspective, there’s a danger that the ideals of unconditional love may be polluted by a selfish human tendency

Agape love is an ideal e.g how many parents can show equal love to strangers as to their children?