Situation Ethics : The New Morality Library title: of Theological Ethics author: Fletcher, Joseph F. publisher: Westminster John Knox Press isbn10 | asin: 0664257615 print isbn13: 9780664257613 ebook isbn13: 9780585336619 language: English Christian ethics--Anglican authors, Love-- subject Moral and ethical aspects, Situation ethics. publication date: 1997 lcc: BJ1251.F53 1997eb ddc: 171/.7 Christian ethics--Anglican authors, Love-- subject: Moral and ethical aspects, Situation ethics. Page i Situation Ethics Page ii LIBRARY OF THEOLOGICAL ETHICS General Editors Robin W. Lovin, Perkins School of Theology Douglas F. Ottati, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia William Schweiker, The University of Chicago Board Members John P. Boyle, The University of Iowa James M. Gustafson, Emory University Wolfgang Huber, Heidelberg University Peter J. Paris, Princeton Theological Seminary Jean Porter, The University of Notre Dame Timothy F. Sedgwick, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary Charles M. Swezey, Union Theological Seminary in Virginia D. M. Yeager, Georgetown University Page iii Situation Ethics The New Morality Joseph Fletcher Introduction by James F. Childress Page iv Copyright © 1966 W. L. Jenkins All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396. Published by Westminster John Knox Press Louisville, Kentucky This book is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute Z39.48 standard. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fletcher, Joseph F. Situation ethics : the new morality / Joseph Fletcher ; with an introduction by James F. Childress. p. cm. (Library of theological ethics) Originally published: Philadelphia : Westminster Press, 1966. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-664-25761-5 (alk. paper) 1. Christian ethicsAnglican authors. 2. LoveMoral and ethical aspects. 3. Situation ethics. I. Title. II. Series. BJ1251.F53 1997 171 '.7dc21 97-14339 Page v CONTENTS General Editors' Introduction vii Introduction 1 by James F. Childress Situation Ethics Foreword 11 I. Three Approaches 17 II. Some Presuppositions 40 III. Love Only Is Always Good 57 IV. Love Is the Only Norm 69 V. Love and Justice Are the Same 87 VI. Love Is Not Liking 103 VII. Love Justifies Its Means 120 VIII. Love Decides There and Then 134 IX. Postscriptum: Why? 146 X. An Appendix: Two Other Corruptions and Four Cases 160 Index 169 Page vii LIBRARY OF THEOLOGICAL ETHICS GENERAL EDITORS' INTRODUCTION The field of theological ethics possesses in its literature an abundant inheritance concerning religious convictions and the moral life, critical issues, methods, and moral problems. The Library of Theological Ethics is designed to present a selection of important texts that would otherwise be unavailable for scholarly purposes and classroom use. The series engages the question of what it means to think theologically and ethically. It is offered in the conviction that sustained dialogue with our predecessors serves the interests of responsible contemporary reflection. Our more immediate aim in offering it, however, is to enable scholars and teachers to make more extensive use of classic texts as they train new generations of theologians, ethicists, and ministers. The volumes included in the Library comprise a variety of types. Some make available English-language texts and translations that have fallen out of print; others present new translations of texts previously unavailable in English. Still others offer anthologies or collections of significant statements about problems and themes of special importance. We hope that each volume will encourage contemporary theological ethicists to remain in conversation with the rich and diverse heritage of their discipline. ROBIN W. LOVIN DOUGLAS F. OTTATI WILLIAM SCHWEIKER Page 1 INTRODUCTION "Situation ethics"what wildly different reactions that phrase has evoked, and still evokes, as a result of Joseph Fletcher's provocative and important book of that title. Originally published in 1966, Situation Ethics presented a straightforward approach to ethical problems and decisions in complex circumstances, and, in the process, challenged many assumptions in dominant moral traditions. The book brought widespread attention to a new way of thinking about moralityNewsweek, Time, and other mass media focused, perhaps for the first time, on debates about methods in ethics. Fletcher did not disdain such popular debatesindeed, he sought, as Harvey Cox noted, to "democratize" ethical and theological conversation. 1 Situation Ethics has also played a valuable role in academic discussions of ethics. When it appeared I was in graduate school studying religious ethics, and I recall discussing its theses many times with other graduate students, divinity students, and faculty. Even though Fletcher wrote what he called his "fat pamphlet" for a broad audience, and even though it became a best-seller, it could not simply be dismissed by academicians, many of whom wrote vigorous rebuttals or defenses. And I have continued to use the book, with great effectiveness, in my teaching. The basic theses of Fletcher's book had emerged earlier in his 1959 lecture "The New Look in Christian Ethics."2 Situation Ethics reflected not only Fletcher's developing thought but also his larger social and cultural context. To some extent it was, in the words of Victor Hugo, an idea whose time had come. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, many commentators declared that the modern world had lost interest in, and even the capacity to address, such large questions as the meaning of life and the goals of our institutions. Social scientists such as Daniel Bell announced the "end of ideology," philosophers such as Peter Laslett asserted that "political philosophy is dead," and sociologists of religion and theologians such as Harvey Cox observed the decline of religion. The inhabitants of the secular city, Cox noted, are pragmatic and profanethey are interested only in what will work in this world. All these interpretations converged: Individuals and communities no longer care about or can deal with ideology, metaphysics, mystery, and the like.3 Some even claimed that the truly important issues were now merely technical and could be handled by experts. President John F. Kennedy partially expressed