Situation Ethics: Six Fundamental Priciples

Situation Ethics: Six Fundamental Priciples

1. Pragmatism

   • Ethics needs to work in practice
     • Learn through practice

2. 1) Nothing bis good in and of itself except agape

3. 2) The ruling norm of Christian decision making is love and love itself

   • "I have not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfil them." Jesus, Matthew 5:17- 19
   • "We loved because he loved us first" St Paul

4. 3) Love and Justice are the same - Justice is love distributed

   • Fletcher argues that that agape means standing up for justice.

5. 4) Love wills the neighbour's good, whether we like them or not

   • As agape is selfless love you shouldn't just love for reward as there is no personal interest

6. 5) Only the ends justifies the means

   • Love is the end that is the sought - agape is a consequental concept

7. 6) Love's decisions are made in the context of particular situations - the decisions of love made situationally and not prescriptively.

   • Relates to the relativism of SE. It all depends on the situation and how love should be applied