Criticisms of Situation Ethics | What Does “Love” & “Situation” Actually Mean?

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What could possibly go wrong with an ethical theory based on doing the most loving thing? In this video, we untangle the criticisms of Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics by digging into two key concepts: “love” and “situation.” What do these terms actually mean? Does Fletcher provide a consistent explanation sufficient to guide ethical decision-making?

Perfect for University Courses & A-Level Philosophy & Ethics OCR & AQA or equivalent.

🔍 Key Points Covered:
Is “love” an attitude, an end goal, or both?
How the agapeic calculus creates confusion about moral decision-making
The contradiction between “Love Decides There and Then” and pre-determined conclusions
Fletcher’s lack of clarity on what factors are morally relevant in a situation

📖 Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: What Could Go Wrong with Love?
00:18 Is Love an Attitude?
01:12 Is Love an End? The Agapeic Calculus Dilemma
02:33 Does Love Decide There and Then?
04:33 What Does “Situation” Actually Involve?
06:22 Conclusion: Is Situation Ethics "Hopelessly Confused"?

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🗨️ Comment below: Do you think “love” can work as the foundation for a moral theory, or is Fletcher’s Situation Ethics too vague to be useful?

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🔬 Sources and Further Reading:
Dimmock, M. & Fisher, A. (2017) Ethics for A-Level. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers.
Fletcher, J. (1966) Situation Ethics: The New Morality. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press.

Code: 4HFV7HBD7EW071JZ

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