Evaluate the role of love in situation ethics

by hilaryalfrescoky (student)

AS and A Level Religious Studies & Philosophy

‘Evaluate the role of love in situation ethics’

Situation ethics is a teleological, relative ethical theory which is based on love.The theory uses motive and states that any rules can be bended if love is best served. Situation ethics is most commonly associated with philosopher such as Joseph Fletcher and JAT Robinson who developed it in the 1960s. A feature of situation ethics is agape which is a Greek term which means 'selfless love'. Fletcher stated that the rule of his theory was that agape love is essential and should be applied to every situation. He used the example of Jesus' quote in the New Testament which was "love thy neighbour" expressing that everyone should consider agape love before making decisions.

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Fletcher says that any law can be bended in order to make the most loving action. Fletcher uses the term ‘best interest’ which relates into doing whatever will have the best outcome in any situation. This term also links into Singers theory of Utilitarianism which is preference utilitarianism. Both philosophers are looking for the best interests of everybody and not harming anyone.

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Another feature of situation ethics are the six working principles, one of them is that love is always good, a quote from Fletcher "nothing itself in or itself except love" this quote shows that love is harmless and if everyone considers love for one another there is no harm in life. Another principle is love is the only means which means that as the theory is teleological and if love is the outcome the end justify the means e.g. If you have to break in to someone's house to save a loving one then it is right to do so.

Another feature of SE is unique situations. Fletcher studied unsolvable cases and applied fixed rules to them. If society had no rules then there would be chaos e.g. Murders, robbery ,etc. Fletcher linked these cases and based the, on the most loving thing to do. Fletcher used the example of a woman that commits adultery in order to return to her family. She broke the 1 of the 10 commandments of God which is "thou shall not commit adultery" this emphasise Fletcher's view on how important love is and any rule should be bended if love is best served.

Situation ethics can however have several problems. If someone were to say that it was against the law to steal, a person could say that this is a false statement as if the person was homeless and with two starving children and she stole a loaf of bread, that this would be morally correct as it produces the most love. From this example, it is shown that Situation Ethics can be potentially problematic. People have different views of what love is and there may be times where moral reason demands that something may be done which goes against ones immediate feelings. It is subjective so how do we decide what is the most loving action out of all the possible outcomes.