Paper on Situation Ethics
Situation ethics was developed in the 1960’s by an Anglican Priest, Joseph Fletcher. Situation Ethics is an ethical system which embraces the fact that love is the only moral criterion and all of our decisions/actions are to be judged by the question, “What is the most loving thing to do?” This question shows that whatever is the most loving thing to do in a situation is considered the right thing. Situation ethics means that there is no ethical standard that can be uniformly or consistently applied, for each situation demands its own standard of ethics. It basically states that sometimes other moral principles can be cast aside in certain situations if love is best served. Situation ethics was created upon the belief that there are no universal moral rules or right because each case or situation is unique and deserves a unique solution. It teaches that ethical decisions should follow flexible guidelines rather than absolute rules, and be taken on a case by case basis. Situation ethics has many strengths. One of the main strengths of situation ethics is its flexibility. It allows practical decisions to be made while other ethical systems that are based on rules follow their own absolute commandments. It takes one’s circumstances into consideration, and allows for exceptions to be made. Another strength of situation ethics is it is particular. Since moral decisions are treated on a case by case basis, the decision is always modified to certain situations. The third strength of situation ethics is it is based on doing good and being loving. Situation ethics teaches that right acts are those which are motivated by the desire to ensure the well being of others and to show them love. The fourth strength of situation ethics is that by acting out of love, you are doing the right thing and you are able to do so by putting moral laws on hold in order to achieve the greater amount of love. Despite the fact that situation ethics has many strengths, it has quite a