Situation ethics
Joseph fletcher
Was an American professor who founded the theory of
situation ethics in 1960 Quotes
He was a pioneer of bioethics and was involved in the areas ‘love thy neighbour as
of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and cloning. thyself’
Joseph fletcher argued to make a meaningful decision, the
situation needs to be considered first and consequential, ‘God is love’
right and wrong depend on the situation.
Elements of situation ethics
o decisions ought to be made situationally not prescriptively
o we should seek the well-being of people
o only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love- desiring and acting to
promote the well-being of people.
o Whatever is most loving in a situation is right and good, not merely
something to be excused of as a lesser evil.
o Love ‘’wills the neighbours good’’ whether we like them or not.
o Love and justice are the same for justice is love distributed.
o The rightness of a n action does not reside in the act itself but in the loving
configuration of the factors in the situation.
o The ultimate norm of Christian decisions is love.
Joseph fletcher
Was an American professor who founded the theory of
situation ethics in 1960 Quotes
He was a pioneer of bioethics and was involved in the areas ‘love thy neighbour as
of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and cloning. thyself’
Joseph fletcher argued to make a meaningful decision, the
situation needs to be considered first and consequential, ‘God is love’
right and wrong depend on the situation.
Elements of situation ethics
o decisions ought to be made situationally not prescriptively
o we should seek the well-being of people
o only one thing is intrinsically good, namely love- desiring and acting to
promote the well-being of people.
o Whatever is most loving in a situation is right and good, not merely
something to be excused of as a lesser evil.
o Love ‘’wills the neighbours good’’ whether we like them or not.
o Love and justice are the same for justice is love distributed.
o The rightness of a n action does not reside in the act itself but in the loving
configuration of the factors in the situation.
o The ultimate norm of Christian decisions is love.
