Who developed it?
Joseph Fletcher who was an Anglican theologian in 1966 in ‘Situation Ethics: the new morality’
What type of theory is it?
Consequential, Teleological and relativistic.
What does the theory reject?
Antinomianism which means no rules e.g Natural Law, Legalism which is strict rules with no flexibility.
Why is situation ethics known as the middle ground?
It is the most realistic and practical approach.
Who was he influenced by and why?
JC because there is only 1 absolute in situation ethics which is agape love which is like the agapeistic calculus which is to “love thy neighbor as thy self” which was JC’s greatest commandments.
What are the four working principles?
Pragmatism, Relativism, Personalism and positivism.
What is pragmatism?
Loves choices must be practical e.g conjoint twins.
What is relativism?
- No fixed, absolute rules
- Healing on the Sabbath
What is personalism?
People before rules -“Man was not made for the Sabbath”.
What is positivism?
You believe the most loving thing to do is the right thing.
What is situation ethics referred to as?
Principled relativism
What are the six fundamental principles?
- Love only is always good
- Love is the only norm (rule)
- Love and justice are the same
- Love is not liking
- Love justifies the means
- Love decides there and then
What are the meanings of three of the six fundamental principles?
- Love decides there and then- in each situation, you decide there and then what the most loving thing to do is.
- Love is the only norm- Love replaces the law.
- Love and justice are the same-There can be no love without justice.
Did Fletcher believe in a conscience?
NO
