Situation Ethics - Evaluation Learning objectives Know the strengths and weaknesses Evaluated one of the 5 AO2 questions for situation ethics Prepared a perfect essay answer for this question

Issues for analysis and evaluation will be drawn from any aspect of the content above, such as:  The degree to which agape is the only intrinsic good.  Whether Fletchers’ Situation Ethics promotes immoral behaviour.  The extent to which Situation Ethics promotes justice.  The effectiveness of Situation Ethics in dealing with ethical issues.  Whether agape should replace religious rules.  The extent to which Situation Ethics provides a practical basis for making moral decisions for both religious believers and non-believers.

Knowledge quiz Name one scholar who influenced Fletcher? What is antinomianism? What is legalism? What is agape? Name the four working principles List the six fundamental principles.

Starter Can humans act out of unconditional love for each other or are they selfish?

Can you think of any weaknesses of Situation Ethics?

Situation ethics – the perfect ethical theory? The theory sounds all well and good – but is it perfect? People were lining up to criticise Fletcher’s theory…

Professor Gordon Dunstan ‘It is possible, though not easy, to forgive Professor Fletcher for writing this book, for he is a generous and loveable man. It is harder to forgive the SCM Press for publishing it’

Evaluation Which is the most convincing weakness?

William Barclay Outlined a carefully considered critique of the theory in his Baird lectures in 1971 The lectures were an attempt to examine the nature of Christian ethics in the last quarter of the 20th century, aware of the drastic challenge to Christian ethics that had been posted over the previous 30 years. Read a summary in Booklet 3

‘Thirty years ago no one ever really questioned the Christian ethic… No one ever doubted that divorce was disgraceful; that illegitimate babies were a disaster; that divorce was disgraceful; that illegitimate babies were a disaster; that chastity was a good thing’

Barclay’s challenges He correctly observes that Fletcher’s cases are extreme ones. How often are we going to make the kind of life and death choices on which he bases situation ethics? Rarely if ever. ‘It is much easier to agree that extraordinary situations need extraordinary measures than to think that there are no laws for ordinary every day life’.

He suggests that Fletcher overestimates the value of being free from rules and the constant decision-making process that this forces humans into. If it were the case that agapé could always be fairly and accurately dealt out, then laws would be redundant. As it is, there are no such guarantees, and so a degree of law is necessary for human survival.

Barclay continued 3 He observes that the law has several functions, which we would be ill advised to do away with: it clarifies experience; it is the means by which society determines what a reasonable life is; it defines crime; it has a deterrent value; and it protects society. 4 Fletchers is unrealistic about the degree to which humans are truly free to make choices without the guidance and control of law. There are so many impositions on human freedom, including environment, upbringing and education, but also the past choices that we have made that define future choices, that freedom is virtually an illusion.

5 Law ensures that humans do not make an artificial distinction between public and private morality: ‘A man can live his own life, but when he begins deliberately to alter the lives of others, then a real problem arises, on which we cannot simply turn our backs, and in which there is a place for law an the encourager of morality’

Essentially… Barclay’s criticisms suggest that Fletcher was overly optimistic about the capacity of human beings to make morally correct choices and not to be influenced by personal preferences. Human beings need the guidelines offered by rules to avoid moral chaos. Furthermore, how can we arbitrate a case in which two people reach different conclusions about an action, yet both claim to be acting in the interests of love?

Are our actions as independent and flexible as Fletcher assumes? If we act in discrete ways in apparently similar circumstances, our actions would tend to appear to be unfair rather than moral People like to be treated with a degree of consistency, and situation ethics permits inconsistency, even unreliability, in personal relationships

A moral absolute? It could be argued that there is still a moral absolute at work – show pure and noble love, but the characters seem to conclude that all that is going on is a lot of self-deception. Ultimately, it seems that ethical theories such as situation ethics are idealistic; moral dilemmas are realistic. Rarely do our real-life situations conform to the neat solutions that would apparently be available to us if we applied the principles of ethical theory.

Extract from Cook ‘The Moral Maze’ Read it Highlight or underline any challenges to situation ethics. Identify six challenges. Are there any new challenges that we haven’t discussed already?

Can you think of any strengths of Situation Ethics? Use the text book and WJEC booklet to create a list of strengths Strengths could include . . .

Point 1. It is straightforward and easy to understand E. xplain – expand your point, what does it mean? S. upport – give either a scholarly quote or an example which evidences this point L. ink – to the next paragraph or the questions using connecting words Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Point 2. It is flexible and gives personal freedom E. xplain – S. upport –Euthanasia or one of Fletcher’s example L. ink – Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Point 3. It allows people to respond to the situation they are faced with E. xplain – Situational – 6th Fundamental Principle S. upport – practical, just, abortion example, Mrs X L. ink – Evaluation

Point 4. It is based on agape – selfless love E. xplain – expand your point, what does it mean? Define agape, love is justice distributed S. upport – why good for others – justice, fairness, encourages people to act selflessly L. ink – to the next paragraph or the questions using connecting words Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Point 5. Takes the consequences into consideration E. xplain – expand your point, what does it mean? Teleological and consequentialist S. upport - only consequences have a real impact on humans – ‘loving end justifies the means’ L. ink – to the next paragraph or the questions using connecting words Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Point 6. Compatible with Jesus’ actions and teachings E. xplain –Put people before rules S. upport – healing, picking corn, Sabbath for man L. ink – to the next paragraph or the questions using connecting words Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Evaluation Task Each group is designated one of 6 evaluation questions. One way to structure your answer is … P. oint– for or against E. xplain – expand your point, what does it mean? S. upport – give either a scholarly quote or an example which evidences this point L. ink – to the next paragraph or the questions using connecting words Evaluation Mini conclusions at the end of each point

Exam task Each group is designated one of 6 evaluation questions. Write a detailed plan for your question How can you make a resource which makes this question easy to remember for everyone else in the group? Make and photocopy your resource and essay plan – no more than 2 sides of A4