Situation Ethics An Anglican theologian Joseph Fletcher developed situation Ethics. Legalism is the idea that there are fixed moral laws which are to be obeyed at all times. Antinomianism is the idea that there are no fixed moral principles but that one acts morally spontaneously. Fletcher rejects Legalism because it cannot accommodate 'exceptions to the rule'. If you reject one aspect of the law you surely reject it all. He also rejects Antinomianism on the basis of existentialist ethics which argues that reality is composed of singular events and moments in time. In advocating a situationist ethic Fletcher argued that it is not the 'primary precept' which is the bedrock for the 'secondary precept' but quite the reverse. It is in fact the individual and the situation that is the most important thing as it is the application of an ethical principle that makes an action good or evil. Within each context it is not the overriding 'primary precept' that is to be followed, but instead the law of love 'to do whatever is the most loving thing'. In the Christian tradition this may be expressed as, 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself' (Matthew 22:39) The precept to do whatever is the most loving thing is not a law but a motive and an attitude that can inform moral choice. Each situation should be taken differently and act in love accordingly even if that means breaking established moral rules/codes of practice. For example, it is considered wrong to steal but if by stealing a gun you are preventing a person from killing people ... ... middle of paper ... ...ective. A strong argument against is the fact love is de-valued with this argument, situation ethics is fundamentally vague, resting on a very indefinite definition of love, and could in practice be used to justify anything. It takes relativism in the sense of opposing an excess of absolute rules to the extreme of relativism in the sense of 'anything goes, so long as the motive can be described as "loving".' If the basis of right and wrong is the way actions affect human beings - as situation ethics agrees - then surely we should just consider their consequences, and not some conception of how loving the person in question's motives were. I believe that with all these weaknesses it leaves the theory very weak as it can be used to justify anything as it is forcing you to think from quite a selfish point of view.
It is true that this patient lost her life due to religious reasons. Doing what is ethically right is the right thing to do in this type a challenge. I know it is frustrating for the healthcare team present at that time for not saving the life of this individual. But patient has the right to for his medical condition. (Right to refuse or accept care).
Most can agree that in, most circumstances, these actions are evil, so it can be concluded that there are certain things that a person simply ought not to do. This is the foundation of C.S. Lewis’ Moral Law argument for the existence of God. Lewis argues that every person has a sense of right and wrong moral behavior, and this sense presses upon us. This is what he calls the Law of Human nature, or Moral Law. However, unlike other laws like gravity, this law can be disobeyed. In fact, despite the fact that all people are aware of this law, they constantly disobey
divine law, and human law. The pursuit of happiness is a search for the good
argument she is defending. Due to these factors, Shorthorn readers will find this a weak and
the Bible. “Let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her
One cannot help but think about how these principles can be utilized in one’s personal dealings. Loyalty, decency, and lifting up of your fellows are wonderful ideals to strive for in friendships, marriage, and in the rearing of children. It is difficult to think of any place in our lives that these ideals would NOT be applicable.
I will strive to do same except when God’s laws contrast with societal laws; in such a case, I will obey God’s laws.
In the following case, Luke is involved in a very perplexing conflict, or Ethical dilemma. This situation is an Ethical dilemma, and not just a regular “everyday” problem, because to Luke there might not be an obvious answer. He can also be thinking that both choices, keeping his commitments of confidentiality and telling his brother, Owen, are both correct things to do. If Luke tells his brother about the project, then he might concur with a theory known as Breach of confidentiality. “Breach of confidentiality occurs when someone gives away information that was supposed to be kept private.” (GENB4350 Online Lecture, Ethical Reasoning 1). By Luke breaching information that is supposed to be kept secret, he will betray the trust of his company
While maintaining a open look of this moral law, Lewis presents two objections one would present to the moral law: “The moral law is just herd instinct” and “Morality is just social convention. The moral law is not a herd instinct due to man’s choice to suppress stronger instincts in fa...
When this class ends I will not stop using these laws, I have realized the error in my ways. I believe that following these laws will bring me true happiness and success.
Every human being carries with them a moral code of some kind. For some people it is a way of life, and they consult with their code before making any moral decision. However, for many their personal moral code is either undefined or unclear. Perhaps these people have a code of their own that they abide to, yet fail to recognize that it exists. What I hope to uncover with this paper is my moral theory, and how I apply it in my everyday life. What one does and what one wants to do are often not compatible. Doing what one wants to do would usually bring immediate happiness, but it may not benefit one in the long run. On the other hand, doing what one should do may cause immediate unhappiness, even if it is good for oneself. The whole purpose of morality is to do the right thing just for the sake of it. On my first paper, I did not know what moral theories where; now that I know I can say that these moral theories go in accordance with my moral code. These theories are utilitarianism, natural law theory, and kantianism.
The first formulation of the Categorical Imperative “act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law” seems at face value viable. Nevertheless the lack of guidelines to determine which maxim should be used to describe an action causes problems with the consistency of the Universal Law formulation. Moreover, the abundance of false positives and false negatives suggests a deep problem with the first formulation of the Categorical Imperative that may not be fixable.
Many people have different views of what ethical behavior is. Ethical behavior is defined as “Acting in ways consistent with what society and individuals typically think are good values. Ethical behavior tends to be good for business and involves demonstrating respect for key moral principles that include honesty, fairness, equality, dignity, diversity and individual rights (Ethical behavior, 2016).” In this paper, I explored ethical decision making with examples. In addition, I discuss how ethical decision making benefits from a Christian worldview.
Morals and principles rule our behavior, these elements are termed ethics. When working as a counselor or psychologist these ethics determine our level of professionalism and commitment to our clients. A case study will be reviewed in the context of ethics. Ethical standards and codes will be evaluated and relevant standards will be utilized and justified for relevance as it pertains to the case study. Multicultural issues within the decision-making model will be considered. The steps used in the process of decision-making will be discussed, as well as an ethical reasoning model will be applied with evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of using the chosen model. A solution for the dilemma will be
Everyone in this world has experienced an ethical dilemma in different situations and this may arise between one or more individuals. Ethical dilemma is a situation where people have to make complex decisions and are influenced based on personal interest, social environment or norms, and religious beliefs (“Strategic Leadership”, n.d.). The leaders and managers in the company should set guidelines to ensure employees are aware and have a better chance to solve and make ethical decisions. Employees are also responsible in understanding their ethical obligations in order to maintain a positive work environment. The purpose of this case study is to identify the dilemma and analyze different decisions to find ways on how a person should act