Situation Ethics

by Fletcher, Joseph F.

• ISBN13: 9780664257613
• ISBN10: 0664257615
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-07-01
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Pr

Summary

Igniting a firestorm of controversy upon its publication in 1966, Joseph Fletcher'sSituation Ethicswas hailed by many as a much-needed reformation of morality--and as an invitation to anarchy by others. Proposing an ethic of loving concern, Fletcher suggests that certain acts--such as lying, premarital sex, adultery, or even murder--might be morally right, depending on the circumstances. Hotly debated on television, in magazines and newspapers, in churches, and in the classroom, Fletcher's provocative thesis remains a powerful force in contemporary discussions of morality.The Library of Theological Ethics series focuses on what it means to think theologically and ethically. It presents a selection of important and otherwise unavailable texts in easily accessible form. Volumes in this series will enable sustained dialogue with predecessors though reflection on classic works in the field.

Table of Contents

General Editors' Introduction	vii
Introduction	1	(10)
James F. Childress
SITUATION ETHICS	11	(158)
Foreword	11	(6)
I. Three Approaches	17	(23)
II. Some Presuppositions	40	(17)
III. Love Only Is Always Good	57	(12)
IV. Love Is the Only Norm	69	(18)
V. Love and Justice Are the Same	87	(16)
VI. Love Is Not Liking	103	(17)
VII. Love Justifies Its Means	120	(14)
VIII. Love Decides There and Then	134	(12)
IX. Postscriptum: Why?	146	(14)
X. An Appendix: Two Other Corruptions and Four Cases	160	(9)
Index	169