Examine Any Four Of Fletchers Principles

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Examine any four of Fletcher’s six principles of Situation Ethics. Joseph fletcher develped situation ethics which is concerned with love and people rather thean rules. Joseph fletcher devised 6 fundamental principles in whiccch are used in aa situation, but not used to diret action. I will be discussing four of his six fundamental principles. First proposition I will be discussing is “ one thing is intristically good, namely love; nothing else” only good is good, in and of itself. Actions aren’t intristicaly good or evil, depending on whether they promote the most loving result. Fletcher said that actions are extrinsically good depending on the conseuences or circumstances. Natural law states that actions such as lying are always wrong regardless of the circumstances, but according to fletchers first principles actions such as lying can be justified if the outcome is extrinsically good. The second fundamental priniple is “the ruling norm of a christian decision is love; nothing else”. Jesus replaces the torah with the principle of love. The 10 commamdments are not abolsute, jesus broke them when love demanded it. Love replaces law. Also, christian love is self-giving making it right to go out and help others instead of avoiding actions. Next principle is “love wills the neighbours good, whether we like him or not”. The love that fletcher is talking about is called, agape love. Agape love isnt sentimental or erotic but rather a desire to dog good for other people. Your neighbour is anybody, agape love shuld go out to anybody, not jst to those we like but to those we don’t like aswell. Agape love is unconditional and nothing is reuired in return. Fourth fundamental principle is “only the end justifies the means, nothing else. Actions acquire moral status as a means to an end. For fletcher the end must be the most loving result. When weighing up a decision one
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