1. Theme 3 – Teleological Ethics – Situation Ethics
By the end of this lesson you will have:
Understood what is meant by ‘teleological’ ethics
Have reminded yourself how this is opposed to deontological ethics
Learnt that Situation Ethics is a ‘middle way; between legalism and antinomianism

2. Spec Check
AO1
A) Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics – his rejection of other forms of ethics and his acceptance of agape as the basis or morality
The degree to which Agape is the only intrinsic good
B) Fletcher’s situation ethics – the principles as a means of assessing morality
Whether Fletcher’s Situation Ethics promotes immoral behaviour
Whether Fletcher’s Situation Ethics promotes injustice?
C) Fletcher’s Situation Ethics: application of theory
The effectiveness of Situation Ethics in dealing with ethical issues
Should agape replace religious rules?
The extent to which Situation Ethics provides a practical basis for making moral decisions for both religious believers and non-believers
D) Classical Utilitarianism – Jeremy Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism: happiness as the basis of morality
The degree to which pleasure can be seen as the sole intrinsic good
E) John Stuart Mill’s development of Utilitarianism: types of pleasure, the harm principle and the use of rules
The extent to which Act/and or Rule Utilitarianism works in contemporary society
The extent to which Rule Utilitarianism provides a better basis for making moral decisions that Act Utilitarianism
The extent to which Utilitarianism promotes immoral behaviour
The extent to which Utilitarianism promotes injustice
F) Bentham’s Act Utilitarianism and Mill’s Rule Utilitarianism – application of the theory
* The extent to which Utilitarianism provides a practical basis for making moral decisions for both religious believers and non-believers

3. Spec Check - Today
A) Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics – his rejection of other forms of ethics and his acceptance of agape as the basis or morality
* The degree to which Agape is the only intrinsic good

4. Ethical Terminology Recap
Deontology
Teleology
Morality
Natural Law
Precepts
Virtue
Intrinsic
Absolutist
Relative
Normative
Speak it out:
With the person next to you, speak for as long as you can about the key words above

5. Situation Ethics
Is an ethical relative theory (how we should act is based on the situation as opposed to following strict rules)
It is teleological in nature (because it asks the agent to focus on the outcome of a situation to deem whether something is right)
It is a Christian approach (it uses Jesus as a role model for how to act)

6. Context for Situation Ethics
With the person next to you, draw a spider diagram about the 1960s
What does this tell us about society at the time?
You have to the end of this song! – The Beatles – L.S.D
Did you get?
Social revolution
Sex – the pill
Drugs
Rock & Roll
Femme power
Vietnam war

7. Theological Context
In the early 20th century there had been a simmering tensions in the Church
Scholars all over Europe were asking the same question: should the Church change for society, or should society change for the Church?
Scholars were rejecting the Church’s legalistic stance whereby strict rules were adhered to
Paul Tillich’s Shaking of the Foundations pleaded with the Church to adapt to a more flexible and modern way of living

8. Legalism, Antinomianism, Situationism
Fletcher argued that there were three approaches that one could take to ethics. For him, 2 of these approaches failed:
When the Church give lots of rules for it’s adherents, this is called ‘LEGALISM’
When society has no rules to obey, and what someone does is based merely on the situation and intuition, this is called ‘ANTINOMIANISM’
He believed the best approach is:
When people consider each situation on its merits before applying the Christian principle of love (agape) is the best approach. This is called ‘SITUATIONISM’

9. Key Word Re-Cap Relative Teleological Christian Legalistic Antinomian
Situational
Agape

10. Legalism, Antinomianism, Situationism
TASK: In pairs, read either the ‘Pakistan acid attack’ story, the ‘Savita Halappanavar’ story or the ‘Ballonacy’ story
Does this story display a legalistic or an antinomian approach to ethics?
QUESTION: What is wrong with legalism or antinomianism in all of these stories?
The Valleys – MTV
Pakistan Acid Attack

11. Biblical Justification
Use your Bibles to look up the following passages:
‘Luke 10’
St Paul (1 Corinthians 13)
How do these passages teach us to act out of love as opposed to following legalistic approaches to ethics?
How do these passages display ‘situationism’?
The Good Samaritan

12. Biblical Justification

13. The Role of Conscience
Fletcher's understanding of conscience is different to traditional views
He sees conscience as a ‘function’ as opposed to a ‘thing’
He sees it as a verb, not a noun
Situation Ethics, for Fletcher, is a practical application of conscience - not something which stems from strict rules and leads to guilt, but something which we use in each situation to practically think of which outcome is the most loving

14. Situationism as the middle way
TASK: Read the essay on why Fletcher favoured Situationsim over legalism and antinomianism
Hide the essay and try and explain as much of it as possible to your partner. They will be reading the essay to check what you have missed out

15. Situation Ethics TASK: Read the sheet in your booklet’s entitled:
‘Fletcher's Situation Ethics’
Complete the worksheet on the next two pages
Extension Task:
Read chapter 13 in your workbook on Situation Ethics, make notes as you go along

16. Theme 3 – Teleological Ethics – Situation Ethics
By the end of this lesson you will have:
Understood what is meant by ‘teleological’ ethics
Have reminded yourself how this is opposed to deontological ethics
Learnt that Situation Ethics is a ‘middle way; between legalism and antinomianism