Four working principles and six propositions

The four working principles of situationsim

1. Pragmatism: The question 'what will work?' is more important than the question 'what is true?'. Fletcher does not want theoretical solutions; he requires that a solution works in practice. Thus situation ethics is grouned in expirience not in theory.

2. Relativism: Love is the absolute, everything else is relative to it. Hence the method of situation ethic revolves around relativism. A lthough 'love' is the 'why' of our action, the 'how' is contingent and changes. Fletcher argues that the situationist avoids words like 'never' and 'perfect' and 'always' and 'complete' as he avoids the plauge as he avoids 'absolutely'

3. Positivsim: We cannot look at the wordl and discover moral laws as natural law thinks. Values are decided by starting with faith in God and 'positively' reasoning what this might mean in each situation. We create the 'good' rather than discovering it. We decide our values by looking at the situation.

4. Personalism: People are the ultimate moral value. Ethics is about human relations yet the legalist is only concerned with laws and rules. Situation ethics says that everything is related to the good of persons. 'Love is of people, by people and ofr people. Things are to be used; People are to be loved' (Fletcher, Situation Ethics)

Fletcher's six propositions in detail

1. Only one thing is intrinsically good, anmely love; nothing else at all: Some things are extrinsically good- they are god because they serve some end. For example walking is good because we aim to be…