Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Ethical Theories
- Situation Ethics
- Introduction
- Ethical theory that maintains
something is moral if it follows the
most loving course of action.
- Developed by Joesph Fletcher 1905 - 1991
- Influenced by the New Testament, so it is religious theory
- Teleological approach
- No fixed rules or moral absolutes
- Origin
- Three general approches
- The legalistic approach
- The antinomian or lawless
approach
- Situational approach
- Natural Law is too legalistic
- "Attacked the Pharisees'
insistence on following Jewish
law. Christians should not lay
down any law. when they do they
become more like the phrasies"
- A rule has to be broken in
order to follow the most loving
course of action
- Paul Tillch "The law of love is the
ultimate law."
- Key Principles
- Fletcher's Opposition to Casuistry
- Fletcher felt it was
unacceptable to take a
causuistic approach to
morality
- The only rule or principle was to follow
the most loving course of action
- Abortion Example and why Fletcher thought
it was better to take a situational approach
- Four Working Principles
- Pragmatism
- Relativism
- Positivism
- Personalism
- Six fundamental principles
- Only one thing is intrinsically good; namely love;
nothing else at all
- The ruling norm of Christian decision is love: nothing else
- Love and justice are the same, for justice is love
distributed, nothing else
- Love wills the neighbour's good, whether we like him or not
- Only the end justifies the means, nothing else
- Love's decisons are made situationally, not prescriptively
- Application Of Theory
- Ukraine/ Berlin prison camp: Fletcher