7. Situation ethics
Four presuppositions:
Situation ethics only has one rule – make decisions based on agapeic love.
Four presuppositions: Fletcher
Show us how to use conscience.
1. Pragmatism: ‘what works’.
o Good = what works/is practical in maximising love.
2. Relativism: everything is relative except love
o Everything is relative to the situation except love.
o Actions can be justified no matter what as long as they seek to maximise love – that is the
only absolute.
3. Positivism:
o Ethical norms are acts of faith, not of rationality.
o Faith comes first – do not have to justify this.
o Agape is a product of faith, as it comes from faith in God and is seen in Jesus (‘Christ-like
love’). Therefore, it becomes the only ethical norm.
4. Personalism: people first.
o SE puts people first – it is immoral to love things over people.
o Link to imago dei – humans as made in God’s image and therefore sacred.
Conscience = prospective, rather than retrospective; choosing hat love demands in the present
situation. Therefore, it is a verb – something we do when deciding/calculating how love is best
maximised in a situation.
Six propositions:
Six propositions: show us how to calculate/decide what action will maximise love the most.
1. Love is always good.
o It is the only thing that is intrinsically good.
o Actions gain or lose value based on how much love they produce. Therefore, good depends
on the situation (relativism).
o Love is only ‘real’ in God; in humans it is a predicate (describing the actions of humans and
not a thing in itself).
2. Love is the only norm.
o The ruling of Christian decision-making is love – it replace law and can break any
commandment.
o Love is neighbour-regarding (everyone being your neighbour).
o If an action is love-motivated, it is morally good.
3. Love and justice are the same.
o Love in society is careful, calculating, distributive etc.
o Therefore, justice is love ‘working out its duties and obligations’ – they are the same.
Four presuppositions:
Situation ethics only has one rule – make decisions based on agapeic love.
Four presuppositions: Fletcher
Show us how to use conscience.
1. Pragmatism: ‘what works’.
o Good = what works/is practical in maximising love.
2. Relativism: everything is relative except love
o Everything is relative to the situation except love.
o Actions can be justified no matter what as long as they seek to maximise love – that is the
only absolute.
3. Positivism:
o Ethical norms are acts of faith, not of rationality.
o Faith comes first – do not have to justify this.
o Agape is a product of faith, as it comes from faith in God and is seen in Jesus (‘Christ-like
love’). Therefore, it becomes the only ethical norm.
4. Personalism: people first.
o SE puts people first – it is immoral to love things over people.
o Link to imago dei – humans as made in God’s image and therefore sacred.
Conscience = prospective, rather than retrospective; choosing hat love demands in the present
situation. Therefore, it is a verb – something we do when deciding/calculating how love is best
maximised in a situation.
Six propositions:
Six propositions: show us how to calculate/decide what action will maximise love the most.
1. Love is always good.
o It is the only thing that is intrinsically good.
o Actions gain or lose value based on how much love they produce. Therefore, good depends
on the situation (relativism).
o Love is only ‘real’ in God; in humans it is a predicate (describing the actions of humans and
not a thing in itself).
2. Love is the only norm.
o The ruling of Christian decision-making is love – it replace law and can break any
commandment.
o Love is neighbour-regarding (everyone being your neighbour).
o If an action is love-motivated, it is morally good.
3. Love and justice are the same.
o Love in society is careful, calculating, distributive etc.
o Therefore, justice is love ‘working out its duties and obligations’ – they are the same.
