Situation ethics theory. Three Main Ethical Theories 2022-11-08
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Situation ethics is a moral theory that suggests that the best course of action in any given situation is the one that maximizes love. This theory was developed in the 1960s by Joseph Fletcher, a Christian theologian and ethicist, as a response to the rigid and inflexible rules of traditional moral systems. According to Fletcher, traditional moral systems, such as deontology and consequentialism, are too rigid and do not take into account the unique circumstances and context of each situation.
Situation ethics asserts that there are no absolute moral rules that can be applied to every situation. Instead, it suggests that the right course of action in any given situation is the one that maximizes love. Love is seen as the highest moral principle, and all other moral principles should be judged based on their ability to promote love.
One of the key features of situation ethics is its emphasis on the importance of individual judgment and decision-making. Fletcher argued that people should not blindly follow moral rules, but rather use their own judgment and moral intuition to decide the best course of action in a given situation. This means that situation ethics requires individuals to be proactive and considerate in their decision-making, rather than simply following the rules.
While situation ethics has been highly influential and has had a significant impact on moral thinking, it has also been the subject of criticism. Some have argued that it is too subjective and leaves too much room for individual interpretation, which can lead to moral relativism. Others have argued that it is too focused on the individual and does not adequately consider the broader social and political context in which moral decisions are made.
Despite these criticisms, situation ethics remains a valuable and influential moral theory that encourages individuals to think critically and consider the unique circumstances of each situation when making moral decisions. It emphasizes the importance of love and compassion in guiding moral action, and encourages people to be proactive and considerate in their decision-making.
Three Main Ethical Theories
A terminally ill patient wants to die; given the situation what ought we to do? He proposed that the context and circumstances leading up to an act must be considered before subjection to absolute moral standards. Rather, it motivates individuals to understand laws and commandments in the context and historical setting from where they emerged and determine to what degree they can be aligned with the commandment of Jesus to love all people. Directions Determine whether the following statements are true or false. You can simply repeat this substitution for most of the problems we cited regarding Utilitarianism, e. In fact, Fletcher thinks that sometimes what might be morally required of us is to break the Ten Commandments.
While the class was invaluable, because it helped me identify my own biases, and also shed light on how I have made decisions in the past and how I can possibly make decisions in the future, I knew that having to make real-life decisions would not be so cut and dry. To see why this might be problematic, consider a case where we act out of the attitude of agápē but the consequence is one of great death and destruction. This placement has been challenging for me, because my ongoing assignment with one of my supervisors requires constant ethical decision-making, sometimes even in the Act Utilitarianism Analysis 1237 Words 5 Pages Under the moral theory of act utilitarianism, I will argue that the elements that define it as a moral theory, do not always hold up as a strong theory in its totality when we critically analyse it. A more specific approach to the ethical theory of consequentialism we focused on in class, would be utilitarianism. The loving decision was not one given by the law which stated that all abortions are wrong. It is this central focus on agápē as the moral guide for behaviour that allows Fletcher to claim that an action might be right in one context, but wrong in a different context — depending on the level of agápē brought about. Understanding Situational Ethics It was in the 1960s that American professor Joseph Fletcher created a formal theory explaining situational ethics.
Legalism has worse downsides. Fletcher thinks that most other moral problems can be thought of in this way. People are regularly faced with questions of morality that may resonate with the strict guidelines of laws or religious doctrine. If love is what is good, then an action is right or wrong in as far as it brings about the most amount of love. It is badly argued, idiosyncratic and rehashes old ideas.
However, he also said many other laws. It is harder to forgive the SCM Press for publishing it. Fletcher thinks that there can be moral principles but that these differ from laws. How very inconsistent you are! Justice is Christian love using its head, calculating its Fletcher 1966, p. In addition to being a fair, reasonable person, I see things as you get what you work for and nothing is given to you in life. What should she do? Truly, it was necessary for compassion and relationships to be forefront in many areas of society such as criminal justice, medical care, and family relationships.
Jesus did indeed say to love your neighbour as yourself. However, if the person confided that they were going to harm themselves or someone else, the ethical thing to do is to tell a member of law enforcement even if your friend will never speak to you again. The founders of utilitarianism define positive utility as happiness and pleasure and consider it to be a driving force of all positive and morally right acts. One example in which each of these features can be clearly seen is the method of nurses in providing care to patients. What a perverted viewpoint! It is just his attraction to moral views which do not try to work out what to do in the abstract e. An action must be calibrated to the reality of the situation.
However, the goodness of the command to love your neighbour as yourself depends on the goodness of the way in which you love yourself. Fiona Robinson proposes that governments and institutions should use the problem-solving model created by Noddings to help poor individuals. In fact, he says something stronger, that in some situations it is our duty to break these commandments. Then, in addition, there are religious situationists—including those who allege that the Bible actually endorses this code of action. Another son became a drunkard and was killed in an automobile accident that also claimed the lives of a mother and her two children.
A Critical Look at Situation Ethics : Christian Courier
Fletcher, Situation Ethics, p. He thinks that there are four working principles of Situationism. The agency is using the undercover agent as a mean to get information from the criminal or the end. After a century of some of Ethical Decision Making 562 Words 3 Pages The process in which we make ethical decisions stems from something far greater than rules and regulations they have a lot to do with moral philosophies. Well it does not mean that Fletcher is a pragmatist. Say a CEO of a financially struggling Fortune 500 company gives raises to all of its employees.
Find Out How UKEssays. No decision can be taken before considering the situation. The concept of situational ethics has made an impact in many Christian denominations, in that the approach makes it necessary to not rely on tradition or the literal words in the canon of Scripture to provide a precise response to modern living. Rather agápē is an attitude and not a feeling at all, one which does not expect anything in return and does not give any special considerations to anyone. Ethics of Care Examples There are many examples of the application of feminist ethics of care beyond the common example of ethics of care in nursing, ranging from individual relationships, international relations, and animal-human relationships. Despite this fact, they both have different principles and rules that make them different from each other.
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