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Situation Ethics Flashcards

(51 cards)

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1
Q

Who was Joseph Fletcher, what did he write and when?

A
  • Protestant minister interested in American pragmatism
  • ‘Situation Ethics: The New Morality’
  • 1966
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2
Q

What is legalism?

A

Strict, absolutist approach to ethics

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3
Q

What was Fletcher’s concern about legalism?

A

That restrictive rules would take priority over people

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4
Q

What is antinomianism?

A

System rejecting any basis for general morality

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5
Q

Why did Fletcher reject antinomianism?

A

Found it directionless and unprincipled

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6
Q

What is the purpose of the 4 working principles?

A

To outline how agape could be used in practice in ethical decision making

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7
Q

What are the 4 working principles?

A
  1. Pragmatism
  2. Relativism
  3. Positivism
  4. Personalism
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8
Q

What is pragmatism?

A

Practically achieving a loving result

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9
Q

What is relativism?

A

Love is the only rule and must be related to every moral decision making situation

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10
Q

What is theological positivism?

A

Faith without reference to reason - thinking supported by faith

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11
Q

What is theological naturalism?

A

Using reason and experience to dictate what is acceptable to believe

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12
Q

What is personalism?

A

Putting people at the centre of decision making

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13
Q

What is agape?

A

‘selfless love’, the unconditional concern for the well being of others

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14
Q

How does Situation Ethics use legalist principles?

A

Treats them respectfully as illuminators, but they should be set aside in favour of love

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15
Q

What is the purpose of the 6 fundamental principles?

A

Elucidate and break down the principle of agape

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16
Q

What are the 6 fundamental principles?

A
  1. Love is the only good
  2. Love is the ruling norm of Christianity
  3. Love equals justice
  4. Love for all
  5. Loving ends justify the means
  6. Love decides situationally
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17
Q

Explain ‘love is the only good’.

A

Only love is intrinsically good

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18
Q

Explain ‘love is the ruling norm of Christianity’.

A

Love is the only rule that should never be set aside

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19
Q

What is the case of Mother Maria?

A

She effectively committed suicide (breaking laws of killing) in saving a Jewish girl from a concentration camp (loving end and cause).

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20
Q

Explain ‘love equals justice’.

A

Justice is love fairly shared out

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21
Q

Explain ‘love for all’.

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A

Love is non-preferential

22
Q

Explain ‘loving ends justify the means’.

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A

An action becomes meaningful because of the consequences it brings about

23
Q

Explain ‘love decides situationally’.

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A

Moral decisions concern living reality, and are only right when they are loving

24
Q

What is the Boss Principle?

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A

‘Love God through your neighbour’

25
What is agape as a boss principle?
A living principle that embodies the spirit of all other laws
26
What are 4 theories of conscience that Fletcher rejected?
1. Intuitionism - conscience is moral intuition 2. Religious - conscience is guidance from the Holy Spirit 3. Behaviourism - conscience is an internalised value system inherited from culture 4. Natural law - conscience is reason making moral judgements
27
What is Fletcher's view on conscience?
Something we do rather than something we have, it is the direction of decision making toward love
28
How is Situation Ethics principled relativist?
Love is the only principle that should always be followed - there are no other absolute standards of right and wrong
29
How is Situation Ethics consequentialist?
Focuses on the role of conscience in looking forward to the most loving outcome
30
How is Situation Ethics teleological?
The end goal of morality is helping people
31
How does the parable of the Good Samaritan support Situation Ethics?
- condemns legalist approaches (priest passes by due to clergy laws) - shows agape is not limited by race or creed
32
Where is the Parable of the Good Samaritan?
Luke 10:25-37
33
What do the teachings of St Paul show about agape?
Love is the best of all good, if legalism detracts from love it should be abandoned
34
St Paul, 1 Corinthians 13:
'it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves.'
35
What is the legalist approach to polyamory?
- DCT and NL - relationships are created by God with the purpose of reproduction - extra-marital relationships are adulterous
36
What is Situation Ethics' view on polyamory?
- it is individual, so falls outside the concern of the law - love and sex are promoted as long as it is agapeic, equal, honest and consensual
37
What is a polyamorous relationship?
A fully consensual and honest romantic or sexual relationship between 3 or more people
38
What is the view of the Catholic church and Church of England on polyamory?
- sex must be between a married, heterosexual couple - monogamy is God's intention
39
What is the view of the Catholic Church on homosexuality?
- 'intrinsically disordered' - sex is for the purpose of reproduction, so it is against God's creative purpose - homosexuals must live a chaste life
40
What is the view of the Church of England on homosexuality?
Marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one woman
41
What is Fletcher's view on homosexuality?
- sex is only wrong if it hurts someone or is immature - it is not the duty of the law to concern itself with sex - agape can be threatened by legalistic intrusion
42
What did William Barclay write and when?
'Ethics in a Permissive Society' 1971
43
Legalism - Fletcher
'Any web thus woven sooner or later chokes its weavers'
44
Situationism - Fletcher
'The situational factors are so primary that we may even say "circumstances alter rules and principles"'
45
Love - Corinthians
'If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing'
46
Marriage - Hebrews 13:4
'marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral'
47
Morality of sex - Fletcher
'sarcasm and graft are immoral, but not sexual intercourse unless it is malicious, callous or cruel'
48
Conscience - Fletcher
'function not a faculty'
49
What did Fletcher believe about Christianity?
It had become too legalistic, stopping people thinking for themselves and imposing ludicrous laws such as Exodus 35:2
50
Exodus 35:2
'a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever does work therein shall be put to death'
51
How did Fletcher define the word conscience?
As not a noun but a verb (an ongoing process)

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