SITUATION ETHICS
Joseph Fletcher was an American professor who studied medical ethics and was an expert on bioethics. He was involved in abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and cloning. He founded the ethical theories of Situation Ethics and based his ethics on the Christian belief of Agapé love.
Agapé love - This love is not merely an emotion but involves doing what is best for the other person, unconditionally.
Situation ethics focuses on the purpose or motive of an action and unlike Kantian ethics it occasionally can mean that it goes against a moral act but only for a good purpose. It does not mean to provide a right or wrong answer, it merely gives support to an ethical decision.
Pragmatism ~ Whether we like it or not, what is good must be judged on the basis of
what works. An action must be able to realistically work in order for it to be an good moral decision.
2. Relativism ~ This means that despite considering the one fixed maxim of agapé love, we may have to change another maxim used in the ethical decision to conform and personalise it to the situation being considered.
3. Faith ~ Situationism does not aim to provide a strong right or wrong answer, it merely is able to provide a believer with a reason and a moral argument to justify their action, whether it be to themselves or to other people affected by the situation and their decision.
4. Personalism ~ Situation Ethics is not based on a strong ethical system that has no regard for particular individuals involved. Situationism focuses its Agapé love which makes it relative to people.????? This does not make sense to me
Animal Testing: Situation Ethics:
If we look at the subject of animal testing through the eyes of a believer of Situationism, we can see that a much clearer, simpler answer evolves than the answer tp the same subject coming from a Kantian perspective. Using Situation Ethics, we can see that agapé laws apply to justify animal testing. Animal testing is used to test vaccines so that, when used on humans, they do not make the injected patient ill due to a fault in the biological engineering of the vaccine. If we say that the human welfare is the end, and we look at the animals as the means to that end, then it provides a clear justification that animal testing is for the greater good of the human race. Animal testing covers all the 4 working principles that Situationism is based on. It is pragmatic as it saves the lives of million of people by creating a simple vaccine that is safe. Situationism provides strong evidence for the testing of animals without making animal testing a definitely right action; this is relativism and positivism or faith. Animal testing is done for a good purpose and therefore follows the agapé love of the people, so it complies with the laws of personalism. In conclusion, Situation Ethics justifies the act of animal testing as protecting the human race and deems it as a good motive despite the suffering it causes.
Joseph Fletcher was an American professor who studied medical ethics and was an expert on bioethics. He was involved in abortion, infanticide, euthanasia and cloning. He founded the ethical theories of Situation Ethics and based his ethics on the Christian belief of Agapé love.
Agapé love - This love is not merely an emotion but involves doing what is best for the other person, unconditionally.
Situation ethics focuses on the purpose or motive of an action and unlike Kantian ethics it occasionally can mean that it goes against a moral act but only for a good purpose. It does not mean to provide a right or wrong answer, it merely gives support to an ethical decision.
Pragmatism ~ Whether we like it or not, what is good must be judged on the basis of
what works. An action must be able to realistically work in order for it to be an good moral decision.
2. Relativism ~ This means that despite considering the one fixed maxim of agapé love, we may have to change another maxim used in the ethical decision to conform and personalise it to the situation being considered.
3. Faith ~ Situationism does not aim to provide a strong right or wrong answer, it merely is able to provide a believer with a reason and a moral argument to justify their action, whether it be to themselves or to other people affected by the situation and their decision.
4. Personalism ~ Situation Ethics is not based on a strong ethical system that has no regard for particular individuals involved. Situationism focuses its Agapé love which makes it relative to people.????? This does not make sense to me
Animal Testing: Situation Ethics:
If we look at the subject of animal testing through the eyes of a believer of Situationism, we can see that a much clearer, simpler answer evolves than the answer tp the same subject coming from a Kantian perspective. Using Situation Ethics, we can see that agapé laws apply to justify animal testing. Animal testing is used to test vaccines so that, when used on humans, they do not make the injected patient ill due to a fault in the biological engineering of the vaccine. If we say that the human welfare is the end, and we look at the animals as the means to that end, then it provides a clear justification that animal testing is for the greater good of the human race. Animal testing covers all the 4 working principles that Situationism is based on. It is pragmatic as it saves the lives of million of people by creating a simple vaccine that is safe. Situationism provides strong evidence for the testing of animals without making animal testing a definitely right action; this is relativism and positivism or faith. Animal testing is done for a good purpose and therefore follows the agapé love of the people, so it complies with the laws of personalism. In conclusion, Situation Ethics justifies the act of animal testing as protecting the human race and deems it as a good motive despite the suffering it causes.