Situation ethics

• What does situation ethics focus on?

  Agape love
• Who came up with situation ethics?

  Joseph Fletcher
• What is the principle of situation ethics?

  The most loving thing is probably the best thing to do
• What are the four working principles of situationism?

  Pragmatism

  Relativism

  Positivism

  Personalism
• What is pragmatism?


  Emphasises practical consequences and experience over abstract principles
• What is relativism?


  Love is the absolute, everything else is relative to it
• What is positivism?


  We create the good rather than discovering it
• What is personalism?


  People are the ultimate moral value
• Who is an example of a situation ethicist?

  Bonhoeffer
• What is a quote from Fletcher?


  ”Only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love, nothing else.”
• Is situation ethics teleological or deontological?

  Teleological
• Is situation ethics religious?


  Yes:

  • Jesus’ key teaching is love - ‘love thy neighbour‘
  • Jesus opposes legalism

  No:

  • Fletcher’s interpretation of Jesus is selective. He condemns adultery and references hell often
• What does Fletcher say about conscience?

  Conscience is an active process (very similar to Aquinas) and when we are making a moral decision we are ‘doing’ conscience
• What are some strengths of situation ethics?

  • Agape love is universal, saving us from personal bias
  • Allows us to answer moral dilemmas with conflicting futures
  • Flexible
• What are some weaknesses of situation ethics?

  • No clear boundaries
  • Difficult to know where a situation begins and ends, could solve a problem but cause a series of consequences that lead to a worse outcome
  • Concept of agape is vague
• What does McQuarrie say about situation ethics?

  Individualistic, so is hard to see how it can be applied to all of society
• What is the greatest love, according to C. S. Lewis?

  Agape