Joseph Fletcher: A Transformation from Priest to Professor
Explore the life of Joseph Fletcher, an American Anglican priest turned professor, known for his book "Situation Ethics." His journey from priest to humanist, teaching Christian ethics, and advocating for controversial topics like euthanasia and abortion is highlighted.
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Situation Ethics Lesson 2 Specification content Fletcher s rejection of other approaches within ethics: legalism, antinomianism and the role of conscience Fletcher s rational for using the religious concept of agape
Hangman Think of 5 ethical key words that you read in the Fletcher extract Give to me I will swap them Play hangman with your partner The first pair to complete all the words wins
Joseph Fletcher (1905-1991) Joseph Fletcher was born in 1905 and died in 1991 at the age of 86 he was an American. Joseph was an Anglican priest. He left the priesthood due to his beliefs in things like euthanasia and abortion. His most well known book is called Situation Ethics and has a predominantly Christian flavour to it. He taught Christian Ethics at Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and at Harvard Divinity School from 1944 to 1970. He was the first professor of medical ethics at the University of Virginia and co-founded the Program in Biology and Society there. He retired from teaching in 1977. He later renounced his belief in God
Who was Joseph Fletcher? Born 1905, New Jersey USA West Virginia University, Berkeley Divinity School (Yale), Yale University and London School of Economics. Ordained into the Episcopal Church of America (Anglican) Wrote The Church and Industry (1930) Dean of St Paul s Cathedral, Cincinnati (1936-1944) Lectured in Christian Ethics & Business Ethics at Episcopal Divinity School and Harvard University (1944-1970) Accused of supporting communism during McCarthy witch-hunts Wrote Morals and Medicine (1954), William Temple (1963), Situation Ethics (1966), The Ethics of Genetic Control (1974) Lost his faith during this period became a humanist Professor of Medical Ethics at the University of Virginia (1970- 1983) President of the Euthanasia Society of America (1974-1976) Died 1991
Joseph Fletcher Priest turned Professor Theist turned humanist
The hero of Fletchers book the St Louis cabbie Vardy and Grosch 124 The cab driver said to Fletcher s friend I and my father and grandfather before him, and there fathers, have always been straight-ticket republicans. Ah said Fletcher s friend I take it you will vote Republican as well? No said the driver, there are times when you have to put your principles aside and do the right thing. What does this mean?
The rich man and young woman example from Fletcher s book (page 17) A rich older man asks a young woman to have sex with him. For 100,000 For 10,000 For 500 Is it ever acceptable? Another question why is it her actions that are questioned by Fletcher, not his?
Situation Ethics (1966) In his book Situation Ethics Fletcher argued that there are three approaches in making moral decisions: the legalistic, the antinomian, the situational approach
Legalism 1. Legalism The legalistic approach is the one that has set rules and never wants to change them: Legalism enters every situation loaded down with ready made rules and regulations . Activities 1. For example once murder has been prohibited what would you have to clarify? Check your DIL notes 1. What is legalism? Complete the questions on your sheet 2. Complete activity 4 Why did Fletcher reject legalism?
Questions from Fletcher Legalism 1. 2. Judaism too complicated pilpul study of the law Catholic resorts to casuistry making exceptions. Catholic legalistic reason, based on natural law, applying human reason to the facts of nature Protestant too rigid and puritanical, blind to real life e.g. middle age punishments. Protestant legalistic revelation, based on scripture not reason 3. What was Russell s judgement on Christianity? Christianity is more critical of an adulterer who lies to one than a politician who lies to many and does a thousand times as much harm 4. Write a summary of the Mrs X example. Daughter had unwanted babies Mrs X advised her to use contraception Church criticised Mrs X What does legalism mean? What problems did Fletcher identify in legalistic religions?
Antinomianism 2. Antinomianism is the opposite of legalism. Literally, it means against law and means behaving totally without principles: One enters into the decision-making situation armed with no principles or maxims whatsoever . Activities Think of an example of antinomian ethics In your notes What is antinomianism? Complete activity 5 why did Fletcher reject it?
Questions from Fletcher Antinomianism What is antinomianism? Decision making with out principles or maxims or rules. Every situation is different. First used by Luther. It is opposed to law 2. Explain libertinism Libertinism due to faith in Christ rules do not apply to Christians 3. What was the gnostic approach? Gnostic claim to special knowledge principle and rules are no longer needed as they would just know what was right. They had a superconscience. There decisions were random, unpredictable, erratic, spontaneous Some antinomians claim they have a special radarlike faculty to help with decision making. 4. Why did St Paul disagree with the antinomians in Corinth and Ephesus? St Paul objected to antinomians in Corinth and Ephesus they rejected all rules and some claimed to be guided by the Holy Spirit 1.
Summary tasks Read and complete the activities on pages 6 and 7 of booklet 1 Complete the key word list on page 2
Which is more effective? Some of these stories display a LEGALISTIC approach to ethics, others display an ANTINOMIAN approach. Discussion/Writing task: What is each story about? Which approach do the people display? Do you think this approach is paving the way for a moral society? What are the problems with this approach?
Which is more effective? Legalism
Summary When the Church give lots of rules for it s adherents, this is called LEGALISM When society has no rules to obey, and what someone does is based merely on the situation and intuition, this is called ANTINOMIANISM Can we think of examples in our society today where antinomianism and legalism can be seen.
Situational approach To Fletcher, Situation Ethics is the correct middle position between these extremes: Situation recognises one law or principle, one absolute norm, namely love. He goes on to say Situation Ethics is the responsible self deciding whether rules serve love or not. This is the situational strategy in capsule form .
Abortion: A situation Read pages 37-38 of Fletcher s book Answer the questions on page 10
Fletchers ideas on the role of conscience Vardy Tradition views about the conscience that Fletcher rejected 1. An innate, radar-like, built in faculty intuitionism Fletcher s ideas about the conscience Read Vardy and Grosch page 127 and complete this table on page 11 of your booklet 1. Inspiration from outside the decision maker Holy Spirit 1. The internalised value system of the culture and society 1. Reason making moral judgements or value choices.
Situation ethics Most commonly associated with Joseph Fletcher and J. A. T. Robinson, emerged at a time when society and the Church were facing drastic and permanent change.
When Fletcher wrote Situation Ethics in 1966, both the USA and the UK had witnessed a series of highly significant events that had changed the shape and direction of the latter half of the 20thcentury.
