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Teleological Ethics
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Religion and EthicsTheme 3: Teleological Ethics
A. Joseph Fletcher’s situation Ethics – his rejection of other forms of ethics and his
acceptance of agape as the basis of morality:
Overview of Situation Ethics;
A. It is a moral relativist - not prescribing any fixed principles or absolutes.
B. Consequentialist - looking for effects rather than the nature of actions.
C. Teleological - in pursuit of a 'telos' or end.
D. Fletcher establishes Three Approaches to ethics:
o Legalist - "using prefabricated rules and regulations" to judge a situation.
o Antinomian -" a lawless or unprincipled approach" to guide moral decision making.
o Situational - "fully armed with the ethical maxims of his community". In between
legalism and antinomianism.
E. Fletcher rejects legalism and antinomianism.
F. Fletcher uses the religious concept of 'agape' (selfless love) as the middle ground.
G. Through situational ethics, Fletcher was attempting to find a middle road between legalistic
and antinomian ethics.
H. Casuistry – clever/logical reasoning which is unsound.
Fletcher's rejection of other approaches within ethics: legalism, antinomianism and the role of the
conscience;
Legalism
o The rules are not guidelines, but directives.
o Legalistic ethics has a set of prefabricated moral rules and regulations.
o If a Christian legalist tries to find solutions for modern day ethical issues in the
bible they will not be able to find them.
o Less biased system – no racism involved etc. as you only judge situation on the
law.
o According to Fletcher, this runs into problems when life's complexities require
additional laws.
E.g.: once murder has been prohibited, one has to clarify killing in self-
defence etc.
This results in "ruling upon ruling" where "statutory and code law
inevitably pile up" to "accumulate an elaborate system of exceptions and compromise".
Antinomianism
o One must rely wholly on the situation itself no laws whatsoever. Purely personal
judgement
One enters the decision making process armed with no principles or
maxims what so ever.
o Libertinism (Christian antinomianism): no matter what a Christian does in their
life they are going to be fine because Christ has died for them.
o Gnostic (Christian sect)– Claim you have a special knowledge – they would just
know when something is right or wrong.
o They follow no forecastable course from one situation to another.
o PROBLEMS:
Actions could be against the law and you could justify it and people could
do bad things and justify it.
Creates cults.
“The moral decisions are random, unpredictable and erratic” so once again
the moral solution can be biased and unfair.
'They are, exactly, anarchic - i.e. without a rule.' - Fletcher.
Situationism;
"In between legalism and antinomian unprincipled-ness".
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