Who is associated with situation ethics
Joseph fletcher
What is Fletchers one universal value
Love (agape)
Define personalism
Belief that we place people (not rules or principles) at the centre of moral considerations
What is legalism
Belief that there are fixed moral rules which are universal and should always be followed
Fletchers issue with Legalism
leads to Rules having greater importance than the person
- Major fault in catholicism
—> Leads to puritanism
What is antinomianism
rejection of ethical rules and principles:
- by virtue of divine grace, we are free from biblical law and church-prescribed behavioral norms
- rejects legalism, argueing against moral, religious or social norms
What is pragmatism
We must seek pragmatic solutions to ethical issues
What are the six propositions
6 propositions that help us to consider the most ‘loving’ outcome
—> 5th proposition shows the teleological nature of situation ethics (“only the end justifies the means, nothing else”)
What are teleological theories
Theories in which goodness is determined by the outcome of a situation
What is the significance of
1 corinthians 13:13
Highlights the significance of agape
- “The greatest of these is love”
2 objections to situation ethics
- Teleological theory
—> suffers from issues related to determining outcomes - over optimistic view of humanity
What are 2 issues with teleological theories / trying to predict outcomes
- Having time to make decisions in the moment
- Having all relevant information for the situation
What is Fletchers view on ethics
Love (agape) is essential above all else
- we should only teach bible stories that emphasis love (no other ones)
define relativism
morality exist in relation to culture, society, or historical context, and are not absolute.
