Fletcher’s Situation Ethics Flashcards

• What are the four presuppositions?

  Pragmatism, relativism, positivism and personalism
• What are the six propositions?

  1. Love only is always good 2. Love is the only norm 3. Love and justice are the same 4. Love is not liking 5. Love justifies its means 6. Love decided there and then
• What is a legalistic approach to ethics?

  Follows a set of moral rules and is deontological
• Why does Fletcher reject legalism?

  It lacks flexibility when faced with modern ethical problems
• What is antinomian?

  Against the law. No ethical system, no boundaries or rules and each situation is unique. Making a moral decision is about spontaneity.
• Why does Fletcher reject antinomianism?

  It has no principles
• What is the middle way of situational ethics?

  Situationist follows their own tradition of morals and laws but is prepared to set aside those rules in any situation if love seems a better response.
• What is agape love?

  Unconditional, selfless love.
• What is relativism?

  Right and wrong are defined by the situation. There are not moral absolutes, our own moral judgements relate to our own upbringing.
• What is pragmatism?

  Ethics must be practical and work towards the end that is love.
• What is personalism?

  A person should come first, rules come second
• What is positivism?

  Recognising that love is the most important response in all situations.
• Love only is always good

  The only intrinsically good thing is love and nothing else. Only in God does love have real existence. With humans love is a predicate. It is not something we have or are; it is something we do. Love is the only principle that is good and right in every situation
• Love is the only norm

  The acts of the persons concerned with both morally good and morally right, since in every situation they were motivated by love. Love has no equal.
• Love and justice are the same

  Love becomes justice. Love in society has to be calculating, careful prudent, distributive in caring for all and that is justice. Justice is the many sidedness of love. Love is not just one-to-one. Love and justice need to be reunited
• Love is not liking

  Love is not sentimental. Love is conative. Willed love can be commanded whereas emotions cannot. Love is benevolence. Love needs calculation
• Love justifies its means

  Fletcher complains about the doctrine that 'the end does not justify the means'. If it does not then what does? The answer is nothing. Unless an action has an end of purpose then any action we take is meaningless and random.
• Love decides there and then

  People often want the crutch of an ethical system to lean on. Morality has grey areas though.