“Identify the Key Principles Behind Situation Ethics”

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“Identify the key principles behind situation ethics” Situation ethics is a Christian ethical theory that was principally developed in the 1960’s by a priest called Joseph Fletcher and expanded by Bishop John Robinson. It is a teleological theory, but in contrast to utilitarianism; it is based on Christian principles, and primarily the promotion of agape. The moral worth of any action is judged on its consequences, not on the action itself. The judgement is made on how much love is produced by the action. In the 1960’s the traditional Christian Church was going through massive change. Society was dealing from post WW2 feminism, Vietnam War, civil rights, teenager and hippy culture, sexual liberation and a rejection of traditional sources of authority, for example church teachings. Martin Luther King’s legacy in the 1960’s set the scene for a revolution in civil rights and sexual freedom and therefore challenging the traditional legalist approach. This radical change in society underlies Situation Ethics which was part of a general move for people to have greater autonomy and freedom. The concept of situation ethics was first introduced by Fletcher in 1966, in his book ‘Situation Ethics’, expressing his beliefs against antinomian and legalism approaches. The time of release of Fletchers principles was significant at the time, due to the heavy destruction upon the US government, following President Kennedy’s assassination, and the uproar of women playing a more prominent role within the working community. All of these sudden changes in developed nations caused many difficulties, controversies and conspiracies. However, was this continuous development in society necessarily a bad thing? The original essence of situation ethics proposed that as people developed, as knowledge broadened, religious teachings and adaptations also needed to expand its horizons to

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