Fletcher's Situation Ethics

Question 1

What was Joseph Fletcher’s Book called?

Answer 1

Situation Ethics: A New Morality

Question 2

Why did Fletcher believe that Christian moral decision making need a change to it’s approach?

Answer 2

Traditional, political, social and religious authorities were being subject to unprecedented challenge:
- Decline in Church attendance
- Liberalising laws such as abortion, homosexuality and capital punishment
- Contraceptive Pill challenged traditional Church views on sexual practices
- Impersonal nature of society needed ethics that addressed the individual

Question 3

Who did Fletcher quote at the start of his theory?

Question 4

What is Legalism?

Answer 4

These are traditional forms of Christian rule based morality:
- NML: reason based and obedience to rules that are discoverable through reason backed up by special revelation
- Divine Command Theory: Bible based and the idea is to fulfill God’s purpose for humanity by being obedient to the 10 commandments

Question 5

Why did Fletcher reject Legalism?

Answer 5

Too rigid and too inflexible

Question 6

What is Antinomianism?

Answer 6

• Some Christians claim to just ‘know’ what is right and wrong due to guidance from the Holy Spirit.
• Secular Existentialism calls for individuals to make their own morality through their response to the challenges of life

Question 7

Why did Fletcher reject Antinominalism?

Answer 7

It is too random and is an unprincipled decision making system and completely ignores the laws of Jesus

Question 8

What is situationism?

Answer 8

Middle way between legalism and antinomianism focusing on agape.
-> It is altruistic and based on reason but rejects any idea of a inbuilt law
-> Agape is the only absolute principle

Question 9

Why did Fletcher accept Situationism?

Answer 9

Fletcher agreed that other than Agape, there were no binding moral rules and believed that in every situation. the individual must work out for themselves whether it is the most loving to do.

Question 10

How did Fletcher view the conscience?

Answer 10

He saw conscience as something we do like a verb. It is just a form of guidance before the decision is made

Question 11

What were Fletcher’s four presumptions?

Answer 11

Pragmatism, Contextual Relativism, Positivism and Personalism

Question 12

What is pragmatism?

Answer 12

assessing whether something works in achieving the final telos (agape)

Question 13

What is contextual relativism?

Answer 13

assessing what is the most loving in each situation

Question 14

What is positivism?

Answer 14

idea of a leap of faith required in order to follow SE as God is Love (‘We love because he first love us’ - 1 John 4:19)

Question 15

What is personalism?

Answer 15

People centred - people over rules

Question 16

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love only is always ____ - what does this mean?

Answer 16

Good - love isn’t thing people have but something people do. Love is the absolute intrinsic good

Question 17

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love is the only ____- what does this mean?

Answer 17

Norm - if love requires it then any law can be broken

Question 18

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love and ______ are the same - what does this mean?

Answer 18

Justice - justice is the way love is expressed as when making ethical decisions, we have to take into account what is the most loving situation using the agapeic calculus.

Question 19

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love is not ____ - what does this mean?

Answer 19

Liking - it is a selfless act that does not seek to get anything back in return. Love the sinner not the sin

Question 20

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love justifies its ____ - what does this mean?

Answer 20

Means - when all four factors are considered in a moral decision, the most loving situation will come out on top

Question 21

Fletcher’s Six Working Principles: Love decisions are made according to the ______ and not according to ______ - what does this mean?

Answer 21

Situation and Rules - situationism is based on freedom and not on a readymade morality. Love is not enough, the situation has to be considered.

Question 22

Finish Fletcher’s quote: Love plots the course…

Answer 22

….according to the situation (Situation Ethics: A New Morality)

Question 23

Finish Fletcher’s quote: justice is….

Answer 23

…love distributed

Question 24

What are some strengths of Fletcher’s Situation Ethics?

Answer 24

• flexible and a middle way between the rigid legalism and the random nature of antinomianism
• emphasises a freedom of choice and encourages taking responsibility for one’s decision making
• encourages a selfless approach seeks others best interests
• modern theory taking into account people’s needs and changing attitudes

Question 25

What are some weaknesses of Fletcher's Situation Ethics?

Answer 25

- Too close to antinomianism to be a middle way according to Bishop Robinson - Distorted view of legalism - Fletcher has a flawed perception of human nature as his theory is seen as too optimistic and his agapeic calculus is vague and hard to apply - Lack of clarity of the understanding of love - Only provides extreme examples - perhaps not applicable to everyday situations