Fletchers Principles (situation Ethics)

Question 1

Pragmatism

Answer 1

What you propose must work in practice

Question 2

Relativism

Answer 2

Words like always, never absolute are rejected

Question 3

Positivism

Answer 3

A value judgement needs to be made, giving the first place to love

Question 4

Personalism

Answer 4

People are put in first place, morality is personal and not centred on laws

Question 5

First proposition

Answer 5

Love is the only good. It’s the only thing that is intrinsically good and right regardless the situation

Question 6

Second proposition

Answer 6

Love is the ruling norm of Christianity. This love is self-giving love which seeks the best interests of others but allows people the freedom and responsibility of o choose the right thing for themselves

Question 7

Third proposition

Answer 7

Love equals justice. Justice will follow from love, because justice is love distributed. If love is put into practice, it can only result in justice. Justice is concerned with giving everyone their due-it’s concern is with neighbours, not just our neighbour

Question 8

Fourth proposition

Answer 8

Love has no favourites and is for all, it does not give whim we like preferential treatment- it is good will which reaches out to strangers, acquaintances, friends and even enemies

Question 9

Fifth proposition

Answer 9

The loving ends justify the means. Love must be the final end, not a means to an end- people must choose what to do because the action will result in love, not be loving in order to achieve some other result.

Question 10

Sixth proposition

Answer 10

The living thing to do will depend on the situation- and as situations differ an actin that might be right in one situation could be wrong in another. This is quite different from traditional Christian ethics and is far more relativistic, having just one moral rule- agape