Situation ethics lesson 4 Evaluation of situation ethics

In pairs Discuss strengths and weaknesses of Situation ethics Move into a different pair and compare/share

Roman Catholic Church Criticism Roman Catholics are quite traditionally in many ways and closely follow the instructions of the Bible (called Divine Command). Pope Pius XII banned Situation Ethics from being discussed at RC seminaries. In 1952 Pope Pius XII called situation ethics ‘an individualistic and subjective appeal to the concrete circumstances of actions to justify decisions in opposition to the natural law or God’s revealed will’. So in other words he said that it was wrong to break God’s laws

It is individualistic because humans see things from their own perspective. There is a danger that the ideals of unconditional love may be polluted by a selfish human tendency and people using it as an excuse for not obeying the rules. How many parents can show equal love to strangers as to their own children? This argument made Robinson withdraw his support for Situation Ethics Situation ethics is subjective because decisions are made from within the situation as it is perceived to be. Situation ethics could prove unworkable because it isn’t easy to determine all the consequences of an action. Situation ethics seems to be prepared to accept any action at all if it fits the required criteria. What is believed to be a loving end by some could justify actions that many people would regard as wrong. Pius XII

Another Christian criticism It wasn’t just the Roman Catholic Church who was opposed to Situation Ethics. Other Christians put forward Biblical justification of how Fletcher had got it wrong: St. Paul continued Jesus’ mission after his death instructing new churches setting up as far as Greece. In Romans 13:9-10 he says: 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbour as yourself." 10Love does no harm to its neighbour. Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law.” So according to St Paul, people do need to follow God’s laws in order to follow Jesus’ teaching on how agape is distributed

William Barclay’s Criticisms Barclay said the examples Fletcher used to illustrate situation ethics are extreme cases. He asked how often people had to make life and death decisions on which situation ethics seemed to be based? He said: “It is much easier to agree that extraordinary situations need extraordinary measures than to think that there are no laws for ordinary life.” (Ethics in a Permissive Society, 1971) He said that the suggestion that laws could be abandoned if needed was too optimistic. Humans needs laws for protection etc and how would people know exactly when it was “the most loving thing” to abandon them? A circumstance to one, may not be to another. He argued that it is hard for individuals to make their own moral decisions in every situations. We can be swayed by emotion or fear and persuade ourselves that we are doing the most loving thing when really we are doing the thing that suits ourselves the most.

Charlotte and Peter Vardy They say situation ethics ‘confuses the concept of agape’ described in the Bible They say SE loses the key message of love in the Bible and that is the love of God, they feel this was done to appeal to an increasing secular audience Lacks guidance – people may act on other motives and claim it was situationist It allows people to do what they feel inclined to do rather than the right think to do

Overall strengths Overall weaknesses That it provides a clear alternative to Christian ethics that is consistent to the Jesus represented in the Gospels. Some would argue that it is more in line with Jesus’ teachings than following ALL the rules in the Bible Situation ethics is flexible and practical. It takes in to account how complex human life is and can make tough decisions when, from a legalistic stance, all actions seem wrong. It is easy to understand: you follow a single principle You don’t have to follow a conventional rule, if that goes against your deepest sense of what love requires. It is based on love, which, rationally as well as emotionally, is a key feature of all moral systems. Overall weaknesses It is subjective – we don’t always have the fact to make a sound decision It is individualistic – what is the most loving thing to one, is not to another It is prepared to accept any actions as long as the outcome is supposed to be loving It is inconsistent with some teachings in the Bible How often do we face extreme cases where it is obvious what the most loving thing is? People need to be practical and Fletcher’s illustrations aren’t relevant for most people People need laws and rules to spell out behaviour in order to keep us all safe and singing from the same song sheet People would mean to do the most loving thing but our personal preferences and wants will always get in the way

Evaluate the effectiveness of Situation ethics as a theory for moral decision making 30 Marks In groups you are to plan the essay and then present back to the class the content you would include