Flashcards
Situation Ethics
Flashcards do conjunto (9)
- 1Situation EthicsTeleological - morality is dependant on outcomes, end justifies the means: "the morality of an action depends on the situation". Other moral principles can be cast aside if love is best served. Developed by Joseph Fletcher in the 1960s, he maintains its true to Christian belief. BUT rejected by traditional Christians for his belief that there are no absolute moral laws.
- 2Three types of ethical theoryLegalistic ethics: has a set of pre-set moral rules and regulations. Christianity has legalistic ethical traditions, but Fletcher rejects. Antinomian ethics: does not imply an ethical system at all. Each decision is unique and spontaneous. Situation ethics: more concerned with love and people than rules. Prepared to set traditional principles aside if love is better served by doing so.
- 3The six fundamental principles1. "Only one thing is intrinsically good, love". 2. "The ruling norm of christian decision is love" - love replaces law e.g. Jesus healing on Sabbath. 3. "Love and justice are the same, for justice is love distributed". 4. "Love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not". 5. "Only the end justifies the mean". 6. "Love's decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively".
- 4The four presumptionsPragmatism: to be right, the proposed course must work in practice and love.
Relativism: there are no fixed rules, but decisions are relative to agape, "it relativises the absolute, it does not absolutise the relative".
Positivism: you must start with positive choice and voluntarily want to do good.
Personalism: Means to put people first. - 5Strengths of situation ethicsEasy to understand and can be constantly updated for new problems. Flexible but is based on the Christian concept of love. Focuses on humans and concern for others. Allows people to take responsibility for their own decisions. Individual cases are judge on their own merits. Individuals aren't bound by rules.
- 6Strengths of situation ethics: ContinuedLove seeks the well-being of others, even if the course of action isn't one of preference. It is modelled on the teachings of Jesus and so could be considered a truly Christian ideal.
- 7Weaknesses of Situation EthicsIt is subjective-we don't always have the fact to make a sound decision. It is individualistic-what is the most loving thing to one, is not to another. It is prepared to accept any actions as long as the outcome is supposed to be loving. It is inconsistent with some teachings in the bible. People need laws and rules to spell out behaviour.
- 8Weaknesses of Situation Ethics: ContinuedPeople would mean to do the most loving thing, but out personal preferences and wants will always get in the way. Condemned by Pope Pius XII, who said it was wrong to make decisions based on individual circumstances if they went against the bible. Barclay said the examples Fletcher used are too extreme.
- 9Weaknesses of Situation Ethics: ContinuedBarclay said "it is much easier to agree that extraordinary situations need extraordinary measures than to think that there are no laws for ordinary life". He said that the suggestions that laws could be abandoned was too optimistic, and its hard for individuals to make their own moral decisions in every situation. Religious system so won't appeal to all, rejected by many christians.
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- A level Religious Studies (AS) FlashCards sobre Situation Ethics, criado por Rose Cook em 16-05-2017.
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- Rose Cook
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