Situation Ethics - Essay Plans Flashcards
(6 cards)
Situation ethics is a helpful guide to moral decision making. [Plan]
Main 1: Fletcher
Helpful because it has an objective moral law - agape.
Objection 1: Barclay
Agape isn’t helpful because it is too abstract.
Reply 1: Anti-legalists??:
The alternative, strict legalism, has more detrimental consequences.
Main 2: Fletcher
Helpful because of the four working principles (personalism, pragmatism, relativism, positivism).
Objection 2: Tillich
The four working principles are not helpful because they are a slippery slope into relativism ethics - disregarding a metaethical or theological root.
Reply 2: Fletcher
The six fundamental principles keep our interpretations of love in a situation consistent with agape as the ruling christian norm.
Moral decisions should be made on the basis of agape. [Plan]
Main 1: Fletcher
Agape is a good central principle because of its clarity.
Objection 1: Barclay
Agape is too abstract, leading to misuse of autonomy.
Reply 1: General response
The alternative, strict legalism, has more detrimental consequences.
Main 2: Fletcher
Agape is God’s greatest commandment, so it must be a good central principle.
Objection 2: Natural Law Theorists
Fletcher commits eisegesis, ignoring other rules in the Bible which imply a legalistic Christian ethic.
Reply 2: Rudolf Bultmann
Jesus actively criticised legalism and favoured a situational approach.
Fletcher’s understanding of agape is not religious. Discuss. [Plan]
Main 1: Fletcher
Yes, love is the greatest commandment. In Matthew 22: 37-40, Jesus says that on the commandment to love God and love thy neighbour “hang all the law and the prophets”
Objection 1: Barclay:
An ethic based purely on love can lead us to delude ourselves into actions against God’s will, due to akrasia from our post-lapsarian. Original sin will not allow us to make sensible moral decisions on our own.
Reply 1: Pelagius
Did the fall really happen? God would not command us to do good if it was impossible so it seems the notion of original sin (upon which Barclay depends on for his objection) is unfitting for an omnibenevolent God.
Main 2: Fletcher
Jesus advocated for contextual decision-making. This is evident in the parable of the good samaritan, where Jesus prioritises compassion over rigid following of judaic purity laws.
Objection 2: Natural Law Theorists
Fletcher is committing eisegesis; what Jesus actually does is uphold universal moral absolutes. In Matthew 5:17 :
“I have not come to abolish the laws of the prophets, but to fulfill them”
It is evident that Jesus upheld the divine law as consistent and universal.
Reply 2: Rudolf Bultmann
Jesus actively criticised legalism and favoured a situational approach.
Situation ethics is too relativistic. To what extent do you agree? [Plan]
Main 1: Fletcher
Helpful because it has an objective moral law - agape.
Objection 1: Barclay
Agape isn’t helpful because it is too abstract.
Reply 1: Anti-legalists??:
The alternative, strict legalism, has more detrimental consequences.
Main 2: Fletcher
Helpful because of the four working principles (personalism, pragmatism, relativism, positivism).
Objection 2: Tillich
The four working principles are not helpful because they are a slippery slope into relativism ethics - disregarding a metaethical or theological root.
Reply 2: Fletcher
The six fundamental principles keep our interpretations of love in a situation consistent with agape as the ruling christian norm.
Critically asess the four working principles of situation ethics. [Plan]
Main 1: Fletcher
Four working principles (personalism, pragmatism, relativism, positivism) are helpful.
Objection 1: Tillich
The four working principles are not helpful because they are a slippery slope into relativism ethics - disregarding a metaethical or theological root.
Reply 1: Fletcher
The six fundamental principles keep our interpretations of love in a situation consistent with agape as the ruling christian norm.
Main 2: Pragmatic critique
Agape as a central moral principle is meaningless if it cannot be applied to moral dilemmas through the four working principles.
Objection 2: Fletcher
Agape is God’s greatest commandment, so it must be a good central principle.
Reply 2: Natural Law Theorists
Fletcher commits eisegesis, ignoring other rules in the Bible which imply a legalistic Christian ethic.
Critically compare the six propositions with the working principles.
Main 1: Pragmatic critique
Agape as a central moral principle is meaningless if it cannot be applied to moral dilemmas through the four working principles.
Objection 1: Internal situation ethics debate
The six propositions define which beliefs are essential for agape to work as a central moral principle, therefore it is the six propositions which agape relies on, not the four working principles.
Reply 1: Natural Law Theorists
Fletcher commits eisegesis, ignoring other rules in the Bible which imply a legalistic Christian ethic.
Main 2: Fletcher
Four working principles (personalism, pragmatism, relativism, positivism) are helpful.
Objection 2: Tillich
The four working principles are not helpful because they are a slippery slope into relativism ethics - disregarding a metaethical or theological root.
Reply 2: Fletcher
The six fundamental principles keep our interpretations of love in a situation consistent with agape as the ruling christian norm.
