who created
Fletcher
antinomians
people who reject rules entirely
situationist
respect for laws
agape - 4
goodwill at work in partnership with reason
concern for others
‘best interest’
Act out of love for others
4 working principles
- Pragmatism- something that is good and works, therefore, it has value.
- Relativism- those laws, which were previously considered ‘absolute’ now must be considered depending on the situation of the person.
- Positivism- Fletchers situation ethics is a faith commitment to Christian love.
- Personalism- places people at the centre of issues rather than things (unlike legalists, who consider the law when making decisions).
6 fundamental principles
- Love only is always good. Love is not something we have, it’s something we do- it is a principle expressing what kinds of actions Christians are to call God.
- Love is the only norm. Love replaces law, it simply employs law when it is worthwhile.
- Love and justice are the same. Love in society has to be calculating, careful, prudent, distributive, and caring for all- that is justice. Justice in the context of law, is nothing more than love working out its problems.
- Love is not liking. Love is not sentimental; it is based on emotions like sympathy and affection. You should will yourself to promote others well-being (it is right to deal lovingly with an enemy until he hurts too many friends).
- Love justifies its means. For example, if killing is to be used (such as in WW2) it must only be under the most urgent purpose of social necessity.
- Love decides there and then. Decisions are situational not prescriptive.
Example: Sacrificial Adultery
The most loving decision: get impregnated by a camp guard, while a prisoner of war, to escape.
Issues with this: fatherless child with an adulterous mother.
Other options: to attempt escape another way and risk death.
example Christain Cloak and Dagger
a women had to sleep with man to blackmail him - brought war to end if did but she thought was morally
lesser of two evil
Example - special bombing mission
atomic bomb dropped - Hiroshima
lives saved by ending war by using this weapon outweigh lives destroyed by using It
love could be served by even the most terrible action if agape calc demands it
strengths - 3
- real world - requires consequentialist approach
- gives moral responsibility
- based on simple principle
weaknesses - 3
- fails to understand some actions are fundamentally wrong
- requires infallible omniscience
- does not provide enough guidance or help
