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What is the fundamental principle of situation ethics? What type of theory is it?
- Moral decisions are those that are "guided by what best serves love"
- Teleological - concerned with the outcomes rather that the means
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What is the background behind situation ethics?
- 1960's
- sexual revolution - contraception available --> people more sexually promiscuous
- women were in the workplace following ww2
- The Church was changing to keep up with the people, still teaching the Divine Command Theory
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What is the Divine Command Theory?
"The good consists in doing as God commands at any particular moment"
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Which Philosopher challenged the view of God, in what book, and what did they say?
- J.A.T Robinson'Honest to God'
- God is not a being that intervenes from outside our world, but is instead the ground of our being
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Who was the philosopher that founded situation ethics and what were his views on how society should be?
- Joseph FletcherRejected legalistic society - too rigid
- Rejected antinomianism - no rules becomes chaotic
Came up with Situationism in which people should follow and respect the culture and laws, but may break them if doing so better serves love.
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What did Fletcher want within Situation ethics?
To maintain the fundamental feature of Christianity which Jesus preached - "love one another as I have loved you"
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What did Fletcher write in his book and what was it called?
'Situation Ethics' - "the morality of an action depends on the situation"
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What are Fletcher's Principles and Presuppositions of Situationism?
Principles:
Relativism - No absolutes - Personalism - People first, not the law
- Positivism - love is the most important thing
Presuppositions:
Only love is always good - Love is the only means
- Love decides there and then
- Love is not liking
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What is the Law of love?
- The Golden Rule: "love your neighbour as yourself"
- New Testament shows Jesus is an advocate for the theory e.g. saved adulterous woman from stoning
- Agape Love: Selfless and unconditional love for everyone
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What case studies did Fletcher use?
Burning House - who do you save? family member or doctor with cure for cancer?
Pregnant by rape yet Church refuses abortion.
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What example did Robinson write about?
The Divorce Law - may be the most loving thing to allow divorce for some people
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What does it say in the Bible John 8:2-11?
"Let any one of you who hasn't sinned be the first to throw a stone at her"
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Part B: Strengths vs Weaknesses
- ☂ Could accept any action - some things should just be wrong
- ☀ Allows situations to be judged individually rather than what has happened in the past
- ☂ The Law is Essential WILLIAM BARCLAY - guides us and has a deterrent value
- ☀ Fletcher did say to follow the law AND sometimes tough decisions have to be made that are wrong either way in the eyes of the law
- ☂ People dont truly have free will, they are preconditioned by society - Barclay
- ☀ It is admirable to seek the good in people
- ☂ Fletcher's case studies are unrealistic (said Barclay)
- ☀ Even so, it prepares us to make moral decisions when we need to, in the way Jesus would
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