Flashcards
Situation Ethics
Cards in this deck (20)
- 1Which philosopher made situation ethics?Joseph Fletcher
- 2What are the three approaches to ethics?- Legalistic
- Antinomian
- SItuational - 3Define legalismThe view that it is always right to obey the moral law.
- 4Define antinomianism?The view that all societal laws should be rejected.
- 5Which of these two views did Fletcher reject?Both.
- 6Why did situationism get rejected by Catholicism?The pope condemned it because it could be used to justify birth control.
- 7Why did Fletcher think that Christian morality needed to be reassessed?Church membership was declining after the horrific events of world war 2, the rise of science and the failure of traditional ethical theories to answer new problems such as cryogenics.
- 8What is the main focus of situation ethics?'Love'
- 9What are the four working principles?- Pragmatism
- Relativism
- Positivism
- Personalism - 10Define pragmatismMorality is about facts and actions and what maximises love in the situation
- 11Define RelativismMorality is relative to the situation, so we should avoid words like: 'always' 'never' 'perfect'
- 12Define PositivismAffirms the belief that 'we should love one another because love is from God' (1 John 4:7-12)
- 13Define PersonalismPeople take priority over the law. 'Who is to be helped' should be the first question asked.
- 14What are the six fundamental principles of situation ethics?- Love only is always good
- Love is the only norm
- Love and justice are the same
- Love is not liking
- Love justifies the means
- Love decides there and then - 15Explain the first fundamental principleLOVE ONLY IS ALWAYS GOOD.
Only one thing is intrinsically good; love. Loving action is always the good action. - 16Explain the second fundamental principleLOVE IS THE ONLY NORM
Love must be held above law or social pressure. - 17Explain the third fundamental principleLOVE AND JUSTICE ARE THE SAME
Love needs to be calculated in society to be maximise the amount of love there is. Jeremy Bentham's 'pleasure calculus' should be replaced by an 'agapeic calculus' to maximise the amount of love. - 18Explain the fourth fundamental principleLOVE IS NOT LIKING
Love is goodwill. Willed love can be commanded whereas emotions cannot, and you should have goodwill for other people. - 19Explain the fifth fundamental principleLOVE JUSTIFIES ITS MEANS
The means of an outcome must be selected with great care. When faced with a dreadful decision, if the end result doesn't prevent love, the means are justified. - 20Explain the sixth fundamental principleLOVE DECIDES THERE AND THEN
Love is a really hard thing to come by, so one cannot cower behind an ethical theory. You must learn to think for yourself and you must create your own integrity for deciding what moral actions you should take.
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- A level Philosophy and Ethics (Normative Ethical Theories) Flashcards on Situation Ethics, created by Jack Lynch on 16/12/2019.
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- Jack Lynch
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