Biography
Joseph Fletcher developed Situation Ethics (1966), a teleological Christian theory in which the single absolute is agape (selfless love). He positioned it between legalism and antinomianism.
Key Ideas
- Agape as the only intrinsic good.
- Four working principles: pragmatism, relativism, positivism, personalism.
- Six fundamental propositions; conscience as a verb.
Topics Appearing In
Key Quotes
“Justice is love distributed.”Joseph Fletcher
Exam Importance
The named scholar for Situation Ethics; also apply his agape approach to Euthanasia and Sexual Ethics.
Works to explore
Use these titles to locate the scholar's argument in context. Edition-specific commercial recommendations are kept on the component reading lists.
- Joseph Fletcher — Situation Ethics (by the scholar)