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Introduction

Bi. Identify the distinctive characteristics of situation ethics. ii.) Consider the view that situation ethics helps to clarify the relationship between religion and morality. Situation ethics is a teleological theory where the morality is dependent on outcomes and not concerned with action motives or intentions, the ends justify the means. This is because it is consequentialist. Situation ethics is also relative and religious as the goodness of actions depend on the circumstances. It is based upon the life of Jesus and the Christian principle of love. Joseph Fletcher developed his theory in the 1960s when he was a Christian Episcopal priest. ?The morality of an action depends on the situation.? Other moral principles can be dismissed if in certain situations love is best served. A distinctive characteristic of situation ethics is its focus on agape love; it is the Greek for unconditional love. The principle of Utility, which is another distinctive characteristic of situation ethics, is that love is the means of identifying goods. ...read more.

Middle

There are also six fundamental principles of Situation Ethics. The first one is love only is always good, love replaces law, with justice comes love, love is unconditional, the end must be the loving result and a situation is deemed right if it is the most loving thing to do. Another distinctive characteristic of situation ethics is the golden rule, ?So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them?. Christian ethics is expressed in terms of divine command and the main examples can be found in the Bible. These are the 10 Commandments and Jesus' Sermon on the Mount about love of neighbor and the Golden rule. The golden rule is univesralisable. (We should treat other people in the way in which we would like to be treated ourselves). This is where humans have been given reason, because God is a purposive creator. But, Fletcher argued that Jesus did not intend to introduce a system of absolute ethics because each situation is unique. ...read more.

Conclusion

A Situationist enters into a moral dilemma with the ethics, rules and principles or their community however they are prepared to set those aside in the situation love seems better served doing so. ?The Situationist follows a moral law or violates it according to love?s need?. Divine Command Ethics is similar to Situation ethics in the sense that God is the source of moral authority, and the ethical theory maintains that actions are right or wrong depending on whether or not they correspond to God?s commands. However the difference is, Situation Ethics not only uses God as a source of moral authority, Situation ethics also uses agape to determine whether or not an action is morally good. To conclude, I do not think that situation ethics helps clarify the relationship between religion and morality because situation ethics is based on Christian teaching, and although it rejects legalism, it follows the principle of ?love your neighbour?. Therefore, to a limited extent does situation ethics clarify the relationship between religion and morality. ...read more.

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