Defenders of situation ethics would argue that one of its key strengths is its flexibility; it allows for pragmatic decisions to be made where rule-based ethical systems follow their own absolute commandments.

Kerrie Freeman
(ii) How far do the weaknesses lead to a rejection of the theory? 9 marks
Defenders of situation ethics would argue that one of its key strengths is its flexibility; it allows for pragmatic decisions to be made where rule-based ethical systems follow their own absolute commandments. It takes the circumstances into account where they ignore them, disallowing some actions 'whatever the circumstances.' The frequent attempts to sidestep them are a tacit acknowledgment that this is the case, and can lead to some very confused situations. For example, the removal of the Fallopian tube, with its indirect result of the death of a foetus which would otherwise cause the mother's death, is permissible, but the modern scientific technique of just removing the foetus, which has the significant advantage of letting the mother still bear children, is not.

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3/5 The essay lands a couple of good points in favour of situation ethics. Nevertheless, it is held back by the absence of a clear conclusion, and indeed, argument in general, that addresses the question. Given the question, a little more focus on the weaknesses of the approach would be good here, even if it is ultimately argued that they do not overcome its strengths. While good points are made pro and con situation ethics more consideration is needed in terms of weighing these up, rather than just listing them.