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Ethics > Situation Ethics > Flashcards

Situation Ethics Flashcards

1
Q

Antinomianism

A

Rejection of all moral laws, existentialism that the individual must decide what to do

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2
Q

Legalism

A

Over reliance on enforcing and applying endless rigid rules, forget what the main goal of the rules was in the first place, Jesus criticised this approach

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3
Q

What does Fletcher propose is the best approach to ethics

A

The middle ground between these two approaches that we should do the most loving thing in every situation which is different in every situation

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4
Q

What is Fletchers term for the most loving thing

A

Unconditional love or Agape

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5
Q

What are Fletchers four working principles that are the foundations to his theory

A

Pragmatism
Personalism
Relativism
Positivism

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6
Q

What was the William Brown incident

A

The ship struck an iceberg near Newfoundland and began to sink, one of the lifeboats was too full so the captain ordered male passengers into the sea who when they refused were thrown into the ocean

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7
Q

What does Fletcher say about the William Brown incident

A

The captain was right to do this, it was bravely sinful and the most loving thing because he sacrificed the life of a few men to save the life of many other women and children

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8
Q

Pragmatism

A

For something to be true it must be pragmatic, it must work in practice, theoretical solutions don’t work solutions must actually work and lead to good outcomes

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9
Q

Relativism

A

Right thing to do is situational, love is the reason to act but this must be applied in different ways depending on the situation

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10
Q

Positivism

A

Laws are things humans create, and we must bring about love in the decisions we make, he compares it to theologians faith

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11
Q

Personalism

A

Puts people at the centre of the decision making rather than adherence to the rules (as Jesus did)

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12
Q

What are the six propositions

A

1 - Only one thing is intrinsically good love
2 - Ruling norm of Christian decision is only love
3 - Justice is just love distributed so they are the same
4 - Love wills the neighbour good whether we like him or not
5 - Only the end justifies the means
6 - loves decision are made situationally

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13
Q

explain proposition 1

A

Some things may be extrinsically good like running to catch the bus, but running isnt good if someone is on a slippery floor, love is the only thing that is intrinsically good in everything

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14
Q

explain proposition 2

A

Jesus replaced Old Testament laws with love (healing on the sabbath), and enforced to love god and love thy neighbour

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15
Q

explain proposition 3

A

justice is christian love applied rationally and calculated, isnt a sentimental love but one for the good of all people

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16
Q

explain proposition 4

A

Love is an attitude not a feeling, it conveys an selfless commitment to treat others as best we can, parable of the Good Samaritan

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17
Q

explain proposition 5

A

If our intended aim is love then any means of attaining it is justified

18
Q

explain proposition 6

A

Gather the facts of the matter before casting judgement on what is most loving, we can’t decide what is most loving before knowing the situation, christianity is too legalistic with sexua ethics

19
Q

What was Joseph Fletchers book

A

Situation ethics a new morality

20
Q

What does the greek background of the word agape suggest

A

Altruistic feeling that exists regardless of the circumstance or person

21
Q

Reasons why situation ethics is helpful in moral decision making

A
  • Love as a main principle is hard to object to
  • person centred which seems close to Jesus teachings
  • situation ethics allows a decision to be made in every circumstance which absolutists theories do not
  • It is flexibile allowing people to uphold the spirit of the law without being obsessed with the law
  • Considers the bigger picture doesn’t just apply a rule straight away
22
Q

Reasons why situation ethics is not helpful in moral decision making

A
  • Too vague as a relativist theory
  • No moral boundaries or protection of human rights as everything is permitted if the situation was extreme enough
  • requires people to make predictions about an outcome of their actions as the most loving but this is impossible to get right every time
  • decision could have multiple consequences or longer term consequences that could be bad
  • Is a christian utilitarianism as substitutes love for pleasure
  • Christians disagree about what love is and how to practice it
23
Q

How does Richard Mouw criticise situation ethics

A

Prioritising one biblical value in agape over another like gods commandments isnt christian and is wrong

24
Q

How does Macquarrie criticise situation ethics

A

It is incurably individualistic so majority of people will never agree on the most loving thing as it is subjective

25
Q

Sophia

A

Wisdom or general principles

26
Q

Kairos

A

Moment of decision

27
Q

How does Fletcher use kairos and Sophia

A

He argues when applying love we should consider our wisdom or general rules we hold and whether the moment is right to break them in order to apply love

28
Q

Explain Fletchers example of acceptable abortion

A

Young girl in a psychiatric ward was raped, abortion was illegal so it was refused for her. Fletcher argues that this was wrong as the most loving thing for all participants would be to abort the child

29
Q

Explain Fletchers example of Trumans dilemma

A

the atomic bomb killed 150,000 people, Truman and his team did this as they thought it would save the lives of millions more people if the war kept going as it was the only way to stop the Japanese from continuing to fight due to there code of honour, this was taking in all the facts of the situation and carrying out what Truman believed was the most loving.

30
Q

Reasons why Ethical judgements should be based on agape

A
  • Jesus stated that agape summed up the most important commandments
  • useful to know when to abide or break our Sophia
  • relativist Principe but is harder to manipulate for bad than pleasure and pain in utilitarianism
31
Q

Reasons why Ethical judgements should not be based on agape

A
  • The concept of agape can be interpreted in different ways which opens up less passionate ways of interpreting agape which can lead to situations producing different results
  • Agape seems to deal mainly with exceptionally difficult cases, most the time conventional rules are fine
  • There are other principles that may be better like pleasure, duty, purpose, or for christians gods commandments
32
Q

Which two famous christians express values of love being most important

A

Archbishop William Temple
Bonhoeffer

33
Q

Which two christians express more of a focus on god being most important

A

Augustine
Aquinas

34
Q

Reasons why situation ethics is religious

A
  • The ethic was clearly found in Jesus teachings about loving god and thy neighbour
  • Jesus rejection of jewish and the pharisees legalism is reflective of SE
  • For Jesus Love is the evidence of true religious faith
35
Q

Reasons why situation ethics isn’t religious

A
  • SE was rejected by the church as it opposed natural law and many bible teachings
  • Fletcher is selective of Jesus teachings as he condemns adultery and divorce
  • Fletcher himself converted to atheism
  • Agape as an unconditional care for people isnt explicitly christian, this can be see as act utilitarianism
36
Q

What does Fletcher believe conscience is

A

It is a function or actviity that we do when deciding, it is something that looks forward in prospective decision making

37
Q

What is Pauls reference to conscience that fletcher uses to back up his argument

A

Paul states that conscience is a director not a reviewer

38
Q

Reasons why SE is too subjective

A
  • Emphasis on individual decision making means the ethic could never be applied in society
  • Community is still important to validate others decisions (Bonhoeffer at finkenwalde)
  • SE is overly optimistic about human ability to reason and reach clear moral decisions. Bliks are irrational
  • Fletchers view on conscience in decision making is very vague
39
Q

Reasons why SE is not too subjective

A
  • Treats people with autonomy allowing them to make their own decisions
  • It is important flexibility remains as situations can differ so greatly
40
Q

How do Augustine and Barth reinforce the view that SE relies too heavily on human reason

A

Human nature is fallen and completely corrupt so our reason is faulted and can’t function well

Ethics (9 decks)

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