Autonomous

• what is meant by autonomous?


  Ethics are self-governed.

  Autos = self

  Numos = Law/rule
• Autonomous Christian ethics and practices


  This view argues that there is no separate Christian ethics but simply ethics as done by those who have Christian beliefs about the world.
• what do autonomous Christian view the bible as?

  its a source of study and inspiration.
• what do autonomous christians follow?

  situation ethics
• Love as the only Christian ethical principle that governs Christian practices

  agape- Love is the MOTIVATING factor which human reason has to decide how best to apply to other moral principles and situations.
• ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love that this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.’

  John 15:12-13
• what is agape?


  Sacrificial and generous love for others
• what did hans kung reject?

  Liberal Catholic priest, author, rejects Papal encyclicals as being infallible. Lost his Church licence to teach.
• what did hans kung promote?

  Promotes greater autonomy in ethical decision-making.

  There is nothing in the content of Christian ethics that is unique – all of it can be found elsewhere by any person of good will.

  He promotes the need for what he calls a ‘global ethic’ – which is needed to tackle global environmental issues and save humanity from destroying itself.
• what is global ethics?

  The ‘minimal consensus concerning binding values’  or ‘irrevocable standards’
• why is global ethics a concern?

  the global ethic is a Christian concern because it is motivated by the concept of loving one’s neighbour as someone who was created in the image of God and loving everyone as part of the global community. 
• hangs kung in practice?

  1. Euthanasia is Contrary to official Catholic moral teaching

  2. It is not contrary to the principles of Catholic reasoning and conscience to conclude that keeping someone alive at all costs cannot be morally right. 

  The question of euthanasia is not whether its use is respectful of a person’s life.
• The model of autonomous moral reasoning is that Jesus specifically challenged rule based ethics and encouraged his disciples to make their own judgements and take on personal responsibility for their actions.
• how does protestant ethical autonomy look like?

  Protestants such as a Joseph Fletcher argue that goodness is not revealed by God not is it intrinsic and part of natural law - it is simply a condition of being human. Christianity highlights that goodness is the principle of love (agape).
• what is key for protestant ethical autonomy?

  Agape is absolute – everything else is teleological and fully autonomous – ethics aims to do what is the most loving in a situation
• what should every ethical situation judged relative to?

  Every ethical situation should be judged relative to the principle of love (agape) and guided by four ‘working principles’:  

  1.Pragmatism: Consider what needs to be done to make the situation most loving 2.Relativism: No absolute duties – everything must ‘be relative to something’ and that is love 3.Positivism: Religious laws are not God-given or natural. They are human.  4.Personalism: All humans should be treated as persons made in the image of God. People should never be treated as means to an end.
• why may some disagree with love being fundamental teaching in Christianity?

  Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount teaches about developing an inward relationship with God and in overcoming sin.
• what other Christian values are needed?

  Human nature, Forgiveness, Redemption, The afterlife and community