Ethics

• Fletcher was an American theologian who published 'Situation Ethics: The New Morality' in 1966
• Situationism is a compromise between legalism and antinomianism.
• Situationism is believed to have been a product of its time.
• Bishop John A.T Robinson claimed that Fletcher's book was the only ethic for 'a man come of age'.
• Fletcher's Inspirations:

  • Drake's 1982 'The new Morality ' which called for a pragmatic approach to ethics.
  • Emil Brunner's 1932 publication 'Moral Man and Immoral Society'
  • Paul Lehmann's 1962 'Ethics in a Christian Context'.
• Cultural Landmarks of 1960s America:

  • Civil Rights Movement
  • Second wave of feminism
  • Hippie culture
  • the Vietnam War
  • anti-authoritarian mindset
• 'Fletcher tapped into powerful social and cultural undercurrents that we becoming more and more evident' - Childress
• Fletcher believed:

  • absolutism was not christian and caused too many inconsistencies and problems
  • all revealed laws should be rejected over than 'love thy neighbour'
  • scripture was still crucial to understand the norm
  • situations should be considered before laws of morality
  • what is right can be found in the application of 'agape'.
• 'there are times when a man has to push his principles aside and do the right thing' - Fletcher; from a quoted conversation with a taxi driver.
• 'Noah, you are so full of what's right that you can't see what's good' - the Rainmaker.
• Fletcher believed situationism could be traced back to classical Christianity.
• • Antimonianism - championed freedom of the individual and a disregard of rules.
  • legalism - adherence to principles without flexibility for context
  • situations - considering each situation by its merits and then applying agape.
• 'Even though Fletcher rejects both, he appears to fear the tyranny of legalism more than the anarchy of antimonianism' - Childress.
• Fletcher believed that freedom was crucial for moral decision making - but not without guidance.
• The criticism situationism is just rebranded antinomianism was met by Fletcher who argued:

  • There was still present the principle of agape
• Fletcher believed that laws were illuminators rather than directors and that the only law which could remain the same in spite of its situation was agape.
• Fletcher believed that conscience was a function rather than a noun - a process by which we respond to ethical issues.
• The four traditional beliefs about conscience that Fletcher rejects are:

  • Intuition
  • Outside guidance
  • Internalised norms
  • Reason
• Fletcher claims that conscience functions not by reviewing past actions, guilt or shame but by looking to the future for prospective applications.
• casuistry is applying abstract concepts that apply to one situation to other instances.
• Fletcher accuses the church of casuistry.
• Situationism focuses on action and not principle: the act of love - acted out onto people.
• 'there is no conscience, conscience is merely a word for our attempts to make decisions creatively, constructively and fittingly' - Fletcher.
• Agape is a greek word meaning unconditional, pure love
• 'Teacher...what must I do to inherit eternal life?' What is written in the Law?'... He answered, 'Love thy neighbourer God with all you heart...Love your neighbour as yourself' Luke 10:25-27
• An outline of the Good Samaritan:

  • a man travels from Jerusalem to Jericho
  • He is attacked, stripped, robbed and left for dead
  • A priest passes him lying on the path and crosses the road
  • Th same with a levite
  • A samaritan came, bandaged and cared for the man before paying for his stay in an inn
• "Which of these three do you think was neighbour to the man...?'...'The one who had mercy on him'...'Go and do likewise' Luke 10:36-37
• 'If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal’ ! Corinthians 13:1
• 'Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.’ 1 Corinthians 13:8
• Fletcher referred to his own ethical model as 'principled relativism' - with the principle being agape.
• The idea of 'chesed' appears in the Hebrew Old Testament - it describes a steadfast, consistent love which is committed and is shown through deliberate affection to God.
• The word for love used in the Parable of the Good Samaritan is 'aheb' - a love which is spontaneous and freeing; expressed to other humans and God.
• Agape is used as the word in the text from Leviticus: 'Love thy neighbour as thy self' - this is the basis of virtuous love. It was developed by Aquinas into Natural Law.
• Fletcher said that 'Augustin was right to make love the source principle'.
• The boss principle is the idea that Fletcher proposed that agape should be boss i.e the norm
• The four key working principles are first outlined by Fletcher in 'Situation Ethics' and suggest how you can apply the ethical system
• The four key working principles are:

  • pragmatism - searching for a practical solution
  • Relativism - judge the situation relative to Agape
  • Positivism - statement of faith accepted voluntarily and then used to reason one's faith
  • Personalism - loving people and not objects
• pragmatism is searching for a practical solution
• Relativism is judging an ethical dilemma relative to agape
• positivism is choosing to be faithful and then using faith to inspire reason and not the opposite way around.