situation ethics

Question 1

Describe the historical context in which situation ethics was created.

Answer 1

Situation ethics was created by Joseph Fletcher in the 1960s, a time marked by radical social movements aimed at overthrowing traditional and oppressive ways of life. This era challenged established norms, including religious ethics, prompting thinkers like Fletcher to adapt Christian ethics to modern circumstances.

Question 2

Explain Joseph Fletcher’s approach to Christian ethics in situation ethics.

Answer 2

Fletcher rejected strict adherence to fixed moral laws and instead reduced Christian ethics to the overarching theme of Jesus’ ethics: love (agape). He proposed that love should be the single absolute principle guiding moral decisions, applied flexibly depending on the situation.

Question 3

Define legalism in the context of ethical theories.

Answer 3

Legalism is the ethical view that people require fixed, absolute rules to follow in all situations, providing clear guidance but often failing to consider the nuances of individual circumstances.

Question 4

Define antinomianism and its ethical implications.

Answer 4

Antinomianism is the view that there are no moral rules or laws to follow at all, which allows for complete freedom but can lead to moral chaos due to the absence of any guiding principles.

Question 5

Describe how situation ethics positions itself between legalism and antinomianism.

Answer 5

Situation ethics claims a middle ground by taking the situation into account like antinomianism but providing clear guidance through the absolute principle of love, thus avoiding the rigidity of legalism and the chaos of antinomianism.

Question 6

Explain the role of love (agape) in situation ethics.

Answer 6

Love, or agape, is the single absolute principle in situation ethics. It means acting in the most loving way possible in each situation, and all other moral rules are valued only insofar as they promote agape.

Question 7

Illustrate how Fletcher uses the concept of agape to justify actions that might traditionally be considered wrong.

Answer 7

Fletcher gives the example of a family hiding from bandits whose baby starts crying, risking their discovery. He argues that the most loving action might be to kill the baby to save the family, showing that traditional rules like ‘do not kill’ can be overridden by agape in extreme situations.

Question 8

Describe the four working principles of situation ethics.

Answer 8

The four working principles are Pragmatism (actions must be practical and fit the situation), Relativism (moral absolutes are relative to love), Positivism (ethics begins with faith in love rather than pure reason), and Personalism (people come before laws or rules).

Question 9

Explain the principle of pragmatism in situation ethics.

Answer 9

Pragmatism means that moral actions must be practical and effective in the real situation, focusing on what works best to achieve the most loving outcome.

Question 10

Clarify Fletcher’s use of relativism in situation ethics.

Answer 10

Fletcher’s relativism means that absolute moral rules are not fixed but are relative to the principle of love. For example, ‘do not kill’ can be overridden if killing results in a more loving outcome. However, it does not mean total relativism; only actions relative to love are justified.

Question 11

Define positivism in the context of Fletcher’s situation ethics.

Answer 11

Positivism in situation ethics means starting with a faith commitment to love as the guiding principle, rather than relying solely on reason or natural law to determine moral actions.

Question 12

Explain why Fletcher believed ethics must begin with faith in love rather than reason alone.

Answer 12

Fletcher argued that no rational argument can fully explain why one should love others; it is a matter of faith in Jesus’ command to ‘love your neighbour as yourself,’ making love the foundational starting point for ethics.

Question 13

Describe the dilemma religion faced during the 1960s that influenced Fletcher’s development of situation ethics.

Answer 13

Religion faced the dilemma of either adapting and reforming itself in response to modern social changes or continuing unchanged. Fletcher exemplified adaptation by reformulating Christian ethics around love to respond to contemporary challenges.

Question 14

Explain how situation ethics embodies liberal Christianity.

Answer 14

Situation ethics embodies liberal Christianity by rejecting rigid moral laws and emphasizing love and flexibility in ethical decision-making, aligning with liberal values of individual conscience and social progress.

Question 15

Describe the downside of legalism according to Fletcher.

Answer 15

The downside of legalism is its inability to consider the specifics of individual situations, leading to rigid and sometimes unjust moral decisions.

Question 16

Describe the downside of antinomianism according to Fletcher.

Answer 16

The downside of antinomianism is that it can lead to moral chaos because it rejects all rules, leaving no clear guidance for ethical behavior.

Question 17

Explain how situation ethics provides clear guidance while considering individual situations.

Answer 17

Situation ethics provides clear guidance by using the absolute principle of love to evaluate each situation, ensuring actions are both context-sensitive and morally directed.

Question 18

Define agape and its significance in Christian ethics.

Answer 18

Agape is selfless, unconditional love, considered the highest form of love in Christian ethics. It is significant because Jesus taught it as the greatest commandment, forming the basis for moral decision-making in situation ethics.

Question 19

Explain the relationship between the Ten Commandments and agape in Fletcher’s situation ethics.

Answer 19

Fletcher argued that commandments like ‘do not murder’ have value only insofar as they promote agape. If breaking a commandment results in a more loving outcome, then agape takes precedence over the commandment.

Question 20

Describe the principle of personalism in situation ethics (implied though not explicitly stated in the content).

Answer 20

Personalism prioritizes people over laws or rules, emphasizing that ethical decisions should focus on human welfare and love for individuals rather than rigid adherence to abstract principles.

Question 21

Describe the principle of personalism in situation ethics.

Answer 21

Personalism in situation ethics prioritizes people above rules, emphasizing that rules can be broken if doing so benefits humanity, as illustrated by Jesus’ teaching that ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’

Question 22

Explain the significance of agape in Fletcher’s six fundamental principles.

Answer 22

Agape, or unconditional love, is central to Fletcher’s ethics; it is the only thing intrinsically good, and all ethical decisions should aim to maximize agape.

Question 23

Define the first fundamental principle of situation ethics regarding intrinsic good.

Answer 23

Only love is intrinsically good; everything else has conditional value depending on whether it helps or harms people.

Question 24

Describe the ruling norm of Christian decision according to Fletcher.

Answer 24

The ruling norm of Christian decision is love; no other principle overrides the command to act out of love.

Question 25

Explain how Fletcher equates love and justice in situation ethics.

Answer 25

Fletcher argues that love and justice are the same because justice is simply love distributed fairly and widely.

Question 26

Describe the principle of loving the neighbor in situation ethics.

Answer 26

Love wills the neighbor's good regardless of personal feelings, meaning we must love others even if we do not like them.

Question 27

Explain Fletcher's view on the relationship between ends and means in ethics.

Answer 27

Only the end justifies the means; if the outcome maximizes love (agape), then the means used are justified regardless of their nature.

Question 28

Describe how decisions should be made according to the principle 'Love decides there and then.'

Answer 28

Moral decisions must be made situationally and immediately, considering the specific context to determine the most loving action.

Question 29

Explain Fletcher's concept of conscience in situation ethics.

Answer 29

Fletcher views conscience as a verb, meaning it is the active process of applying agape to a situation, not a fixed internal moral compass.

Question 30

Describe the argument supporting situation ethics as suitable for modern society.

Answer 30

Fletcher and Robinson argue that modern humans are more mature and self-controlled, so granting autonomy through situation ethics increases love without threatening social stability.

Question 31

Explain William Barclay's criticism of situation ethics regarding freedom.

Answer 31

Barclay argues that situation ethics grants too much freedom, which can lead to selfishness and cruelty if love is imperfect, and that humanity still needs the protection of fixed laws.

Question 32

Describe the counterargument defending situation ethics against Barclay's criticism.

Answer 32

The defense claims that while some may abuse freedom, legalism's inflexibility and outdated nature cause worse problems than the potential misuse of autonomy in situation ethics.

Question 33

Describe Fletcher's view on the direction of history in relation to morality.

Answer 33

Fletcher believes that history moves towards people becoming more educated and civilized, which justifies developing a morality that trusts people with more freedom.

Question 34

Explain Barclay's critique of Situation Ethics regarding human nature and freedom.

Answer 34

Barclay argues that despite apparent improvements in people, if given freedom and power, humans tend to choose selfish or cruel actions rather than loving ones, reflecting the idea that power corrupts and human nature may be inherently corrupt.

Question 35

Describe how the Stanford prison experiment and 'Lord of the Flies' relate to critiques of Situation Ethics.

Answer 35

Both the Stanford prison experiment and 'Lord of the Flies' illustrate how power can corrupt human behavior, supporting critiques that unrestricted freedom in Situation Ethics may lead to selfish or cruel actions rather than loving ones.

Question 36

Explain Fletcher's criticism of legalistic approaches to the Bible.

Answer 36

Fletcher criticizes legalistic approaches for being either too literal, which is impractical, or too interpretative, which leads to uncertainty; he argues the Bible should not be treated as a strict rules book but as offering paradigms or suggestions.

Question 37

Define Fletcher's liberal view of biblical inspiration.

Answer 37

Fletcher's liberal view holds that the Bible is not the perfect word of God but a source of ethical guidance that should be interpreted flexibly, focusing on love rather than rigid rules.

Question 38

Describe Fletcher's approach to biblical ethical teachings such as those on killing, homosexuality, and adultery.

Answer 38

Fletcher believes these teachings are not unbreakable rules; instead, any action that maximizes agape (love) is allowed, regardless of traditional biblical prohibitions.

Question 39

Explain the central ethical theme Fletcher focuses on in the Bible.

Answer 39

Fletcher focuses on love (agape) as the most prevalent ethical theme in the Bible, especially in the teachings of Jesus and St Paul, emphasizing forgiveness and love above legalistic rules.

Question 40

Describe a key criticism of Fletcher's Situation Ethics from a Christian perspective.

Answer 40

A key criticism is that Fletcher's theory reduces Christian ethics to just the command to love, ignoring other biblical teachings, and thus may not be considered properly Christian.

Question 41

Explain Martin Luther's theory of 'sola scriptura' and its challenge to Situation Ethics.

Answer 41

'Sola scriptura' holds that the Bible alone is the source of moral authority, not individual interpretation; this challenges Situation Ethics by rejecting autonomous decisions based solely on agape.

Question 42

Describe W. L. Craig's argument against Fletcher's Situation Ethics.

Answer 42

Craig argues that the Bible shows God's justice is as important as His love, implying that Fletcher's focus on love alone neglects the biblical balance between justice and love.

Question 43

Explain the criticism that Fletcher's ethics are indistinguishable from secular morality.

Answer 43

Critics say Fletcher's focus on love and wanting the best for others dilutes Christian ethics into general well-wishing, making it no different from secular moral principles.

Question 44

Describe the final defense of Situation Ethics regarding the relationship between justice and love.

Answer 44

The defense suggests that either God's justice is equally important as love, or that justice can be understood as love distributed, supporting Fletcher's emphasis on love as central.

Question 45

Explain Fletcher's view on the Bible in relation to situation ethics.

Answer 45

Fletcher does not regard the Bible as the perfect word of God but only as guidelines. He believes it is impossible to figure out exactly what the Bible meant, so he justifies overruling most of its commands with agape (love) in situation ethics.

Question 46

Describe the main critique of Fletcher's liberal approach to the Bible.

Answer 46

Fletcher's liberal approach is criticized for being no better than trying to interpret the Bible literally, as biblical themes and paradigms are subjective. He has not solved the problem of interpretation but merely postponed it, leading situation ethics to slide into antinomianism due to its subjectivity.

Question 47

Explain why situation ethics is said to slide into antinomianism.

Answer 47

Because situation ethics relies on subjective interpretation and prioritizes agape over biblical laws, it can lead to disregarding established moral laws entirely, which is characteristic of antinomianism—the rejection of law or legalism in moral conduct.

Question 48

Describe how Fletcher’s situation ethics aligns with Jesus’ approach to ethics.

Answer 48

Fletcher’s situation ethics fits Jesus’ approach because Jesus overturned strict rules (like 'eye for an eye'), allowed rule-breaking (such as on the Sabbath), and emphasized that the greatest commandment is to love your neighbor, suggesting love takes priority over other rules.

Question 49

Explain the significance of the greatest commandment in Fletcher’s situation ethics.

Answer 49

The greatest commandment to love your neighbor as yourself implies that love (agape) takes precedence over other commandments, justifying breaking lesser rules if doing so is the loving thing to do, which is central to Fletcher’s situation ethics.

Question 50

Describe Richard Mouw’s critique of Fletcher’s situation ethics.

Answer 50

Mouw argues it is illogical to reduce Christian ethics to only one of Jesus’ commands when Jesus gave many. Following some commands but not all is inconsistent; Christians must either accept Jesus as a full moral authority or not at all.

Question 51

Explain Pope Pius XII’s criticism of situation ethics.

Answer 51

Pope Pius XII criticized situation ethics for undermining the importance of following all commandments, as Christ emphasized obedience to all commandments, not just the command to love, making Fletcher’s approach an attack on Christ’s teachings.

Question 52

Describe the biblical basis used to challenge Fletcher’s claim that the ends justify the means.

Answer 52

Romans 3:8 condemns the idea that the ends justify the means, which challenges Fletcher’s claim in situation ethics that actions can be justified by their loving outcomes regardless of the means used.

Question 53

Explain the defense of situation ethics against Mouw and Pius XII’s criticisms.

Answer 53

The defense argues that Mouw and Pius XII assume a legalistic approach is valid, but Jesus himself modeled a progressive, situationist approach to ethics. A full understanding of Jesus’ ethics includes both legalism and situationism, so rigid legalism fails to capture Jesus’ ethical method.

Question 54

Describe Fletcher’s stance on rules and commandments in situation ethics.

Answer 54

Fletcher does not want to disregard rules and commandments entirely but opposes the insistence on a legalistic, inflexible application of them. He advocates for applying them with consideration of the situation and the principle of agape.

Question 55

Explain the question raised about Jesus making other commandments if agape is the only one that ultimately matters.

Answer 55

The critique questions why Jesus would bother to make multiple commandments if agape (love) is the only command that ultimately matters, suggesting a potential inconsistency in situation ethics prioritizing only love.

Question 56

Explain why agape is considered the only commandment needed if commandments are followed only when they accord with agape.

Answer 56

If a commandment is only to be followed when it aligns with agape and ignored if it conflicts, then agape becomes the sole necessary commandment because it serves as the ultimate guiding principle for ethical behavior.

Question 57

Describe an alternative interpretation of Jesus calling agape the 'greatest' commandment.

Answer 57

It is more logical to interpret Jesus calling agape the 'greatest' commandment as meaning it is the one most relevant to the greatest number of situations, rather than it being the only commandment needed.

Question 58

Explain how Fletcher’s concept of love differs from simply acting on feelings of love.

Answer 58

Fletcher’s concept of love involves doing whatever action promotes a loving outcome, focusing on the result rather than the unreliable emotion of love itself, making ethical action oriented towards love but not dependent on feelings.

Question 59

Define agape in the context of Christian ethics.

Answer 59

Agape is Christian selfless love, specifically the kind of love Jesus recommended, which involves loving your neighbour as yourself, emphasizing selflessness rather than mere affection or emotion.

Question 60

Explain the subjectivity issue related to using love as a basis for ethics.

Answer 60

Love is considered subjective because different people may interpret or feel love differently, which can lead to unstable ethical foundations; for example, a Nazi might believe they are acting lovingly, but their concept of love is not selfless or universal.

Question 61

Describe why Fletcher’s theory does not justify Nazi actions despite their claim of acting out of love.

Answer 61

Fletcher’s theory requires Christian selfless love (agape), which Nazis do not practice towards their Jewish neighbours; thus, their actions cannot be justified as loving under Fletcher’s ethical framework.

Question 62

Explain how agape is less subjective than general love.

Answer 62

Agape requires symmetry in love—loving others as you love yourself—so it limits subjective interpretations by demanding consistency between self-love and love for others.

Question 63

Summarize C. Hitchens’ critique of agape as a basis for ethics.

Answer 63

Hitchens argued that agape depends on how a person loves themselves, which is subjective, and that others might not want to be loved in the same way, making agape still a subjective and unstable ethical basis.

Question 64

Describe the example involving Nazis to illustrate the subjectivity of agape.

Answer 64

Two Nazis might claim they would want to be killed if discovered Jewish, so loving your neighbour as yourself could justify killing Jewish neighbours, showing how subjective self-love can distort agape.

Question 65

Explain how Viking or Spartan warriors’ values challenge the concept of agape.

Answer 65

Vikings or Spartans might see a glorious death as the highest honor and envy those they kill, so killing in battle could be seen as loving their neighbour as themselves, illustrating how cultural values affect interpretations of agape.

Question 66

Explain the final judgement defending situation ethics against the subjectivity criticism.

Answer 66

The defense argues that agape is not just treating others as you want to be treated but truly loving your neighbour as you love yourself; Nazis and warriors lacked genuine self-love, so their actions do not reflect true agape.

Question 67

Summarize the final judgement critiquing situation ethics.

Answer 67

The critique claims Fletcher’s rejection of strict laws reduces Christian ethics to subjective personal perceptions of love, making it indistinguishable from secular morality or general well-wishing, thus diluting its distinctiveness.

Question 68

Describe the main strength of situation ethics according to Fletcher.

Answer 68

The main strength of situation ethics is its perpetual relevance due to its flexibility in taking the specific situation into account when making ethical decisions.

Question 69

Explain how Fletcher’s approach to conscience contributes to the flexibility of situation ethics.

Answer 69

Fletcher’s approach to conscience does not rely on strict rules or precepts but is the process by which an individual determines what will result in a loving outcome in their particular situation, allowing for adaptability.

Question 70

Describe how situation ethics adapts to modern ethical issues.

Answer 70

Situation ethics allows Christian ethics to adapt to new ethical situations and issues associated with modern society and technology by focusing on the context and loving outcome rather than fixed rules.

Question 71

Explain the Catholic natural law argument against situation ethics.

Answer 71

The Catholic natural law argument claims that relativism leads to antinomianism and that Aquinas’ natural law approach, which includes prudence and primary precepts applied to particular situations, already provides sufficient flexibility without abandoning ethical absolutes.

Question 72

Define antinomianism in the context of ethical theories.

Answer 72

Antinomianism is the belief that there are no absolute moral laws, leading to the rejection of fixed ethical rules and potentially resulting in moral relativism.

Question 73

Explain why Catholics reject Fletcher’s principles of pragmatism and relativism.

Answer 73

Catholics reject Fletcher’s pragmatism and relativism because they believe in ethical absolutes, such as the sanctity of life, which cannot be relativized regardless of the situation, and they argue that relativistic ethics threaten societal stability.

Question 74

Describe Mother Theresa’s argument against relativistic ethics like situation ethics.

Answer 74

Mother Theresa argued that relativistic ethics, exemplified by abortion, destroy peace because if a mother can kill her own child, it undermines the value of life and leads to broader social violence and disorder.

Question 75

Explain the social order argument defending situation ethics.

Answer 75

The social order argument defending situation ethics points out that some of the most stable and happy societies, such as those in Northern Europe, are atheistic and prioritize quality of life over strict sanctity of life principles, suggesting that fixed ethical absolutes are not necessary for social stability.

Question 76

Describe the Catholic critique of situation ethics regarding social stability.

Answer 76

The Catholic critique argues that devaluing life threatens social stability because God designed humans to preserve life, and ignoring this design leads to immorality and social disorder; thus, overly individualistic ethics like Fletcher’s situationism ultimately harm society.

Question 77

Explain how Fletcher’s situation ethics could lead to antinomianism according to critics.

Answer 77

Critics argue that Fletcher’s situation ethics leads to antinomianism because its focus on individual autonomy and flexible rules undermines fixed moral laws, resulting in a rejection of absolute ethical standards.

Question 78

Describe the role of prudence in Aquinas’ natural law theory.

Answer 78

In Aquinas’ natural law theory, prudence is a cardinal virtue that guides the application of primary precepts to particular situations, allowing for some flexibility while maintaining ethical absolutes.

Question 79

Explain the concept of the double effect in natural law ethics.

Answer 79

The double effect principle in natural law ethics justifies performing an action that has both a good and a bad effect if the bad effect is not intended and the good effect outweighs the bad, allowing some flexibility in moral decision-making.

Question 80

Describe how situation ethics views ethical rules compared to natural law theory.

Answer 80

Situation ethics views ethical rules as flexible guidelines that can be overridden by the most loving outcome in a situation, whereas natural law theory sees primary precepts as absolute but applicable prudently to specific cases.

Question 81

Explain the significance of the sanctity of life in Catholic ethics.

Answer 81

The sanctity of life is an ethical absolute in Catholicism, meaning life’s value is inviolable and cannot be relativized regardless of circumstances, forming a foundation for moral decision-making.

Question 82

Describe the potential societal risks of relativistic ethical theories according to Catholic critics.

Answer 82

Catholic critics argue that relativistic ethical theories threaten the stability of society by undermining fixed moral norms, leading to moral confusion, social disorder, and the breakdown of communal values.