Situation Ethics

Situation Ethics was developed by Joseph Flethcer and is a :-

Relativistic = No absolute moral laws 

Consequentialist = The end result is to be held of importance 

Teleological = Moral truth is found through purpose and nature 

Fletcher rejected the notions of Anitnomanism and Legalism.

Antinomanism = Total abandonment of rules 

Legalism = An excessive adherence to rules 

Instead he sought a midde way arguing that there are no absolute ethical standards that are applicable in all situations as each is unique and so the ethical theory should be felxible enough for this felxability in todays modern society.

For Fletcher the role of the conscience was the precess of thinking through and weighing up consquenses and deciding upon which action to take. It rejects the view of the conscience as 'The voice of God'.

Fletcher sourced his definition of love from St.Paul in the bible in that 'Love is kind, Love is patient' and the idea of Agape meaning a selfless love that is unconditional and neighbour regarding. If agape demanded it moral norms may be put aside. This idea of Agape is the boss principle of SE.

• There is much biblical support for the concept of agape in the teachings of Jesus such as The Good smaritan ect. 

Fletcher devised the 4 working principles to set out how the main principle of Agape would be applied in practice. These principles were:- 

• Pragmatism = It should be practical and work in real life and should achive its aims, Does it serve the purpose of love?
• Positivism = Decisions should always be made with love in mind and for christians accepting that 'God is love' helps  this. 
• Personalism = People should always be put first even above rules and can be achived through the question of 'What is of the greatest assitence to people' 
• Relativism = Rejects absolute such as always or never but always act in accordence to love

• Love is the only intrinsic good 
• The ruling norm of decision making is love 
• Love is justice distributed 
• Love requires us to do good
• Only a loving end justifies the means 
• Loves decides situationally

• It's flexability allows for freedom to act situationally
• Love always seeks the well-being of others 
• External of socital laws that differ

Weakness

• The law of love is still a law 
• Its ambigous and subjective as no two people will arrive at the same conclusion 
• Love is abstract and does it differ for everyone?

• Anyform of sex **** or hetero is good or evil, It is dependant if love is fully served 
• The legalistic disapproval of Homosexual and polyamorous relationships would be disproved by Fletcher as he adopts a relatvistic and personalist approach
• If the relationship,Poly or ****, is focused on the well-being of eachother the it fufils agape such making this relationship morally good.
• However if it were a relationship focussed on sexual desire then agape is not achived and as cuh is morally wrong in SE
• As SE does with everything it judges each relationship independently according to loves needs.