Situation Ethics was developed by Joseph Fletcher in the 1960s as a middle ground between antinomianism (no rules) and legalism (strict rules).
Influenced by Jesus Christ, William Temple (emphasized love as the Christian impulse), Jeremy Bentham (calculus inspiration), and critics like William Barclay and Pope Pius XII.
Core Concepts of Situation Ethics
The guiding principle is Agape: unconditional, selfless, Christian love modeled by Jesus.
Agape is considered the only intrinsic good; all moral decisions should aim for the most loving outcome.
The Agape calculus was created to help calculate the most loving action in each situation.
Fletcher’s Four Presuppositions
Pragmatism: Do what works best in each situation.
Relativism: Morality is relative to the particulars of each situation.
Positivism: Acceptance of love as the highest principle is based on faith.
Personalism: People matter more than rules; prioritize people over laws.
Six Working Principles (How Situation Ethics Works)
Only love (Agape) is intrinsically good.
Love is the ruling norm in Christian ethical decision-making—above all laws.
Love and justice are identical; justice is love distributed to many.
Love wills the good of others regardless of personal feelings.
Love justifies the means (The end justifies the means).
Love’s decisions are made situationally, not prescriptively.
Scriptural Foundations
Jesus’ teachings emphasize love as the highest commandment (e.g., “Love your neighbor as yourself”).
Examples include Jesus healing on the Sabbath, prioritizing love over strict adherence to law.
Fletcher’s View on Conscience
Conscience is a verb (an act or process), not a fixed thing.
Moral decision-making is an individual’s creative, situational process.
Comparison to Other Ethical Theories
Opposes Natural Moral Law (legalistic, deontological, absolute rules).
Shares teleological, consequentialist features with Utilitarianism but focuses on love, not happiness.
Contrasts sharply with Kantian ethics (absolute rules, end never justifies the means).
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths: Rooted in Jesus’ teaching; offers individual autonomy; flexible and applicable to modern circumstances.
Weaknesses: Impractical for society-wide application; places excessive responsibility on individuals; open to misuse and subjective interpretations; criticized by the Catholic Church and scholars like Barclay.
Key Terms & Definitions
Agape — Unconditional, selfless Christian love.
Antinomianism — The belief in no rules or laws.
Legalism — Strict adherence to laws or rules.
Teleological Ethics — Ethics based on outcomes or consequences.
Pragmatism — Doing what works practically.
Relativism — Morality is relative to situations.
Positivism — Basing ethical belief in love on faith.
Personalism — Prioritizing people over rules.
Intrinsic Good — Good in itself; for Fletcher, only love.
Agape Calculus — Fletcher’s method to determine the most loving action.