Moral Responsibility Situation Ethics at Work

by Joseph F. Fletcher

Classic in ethical theory signed by author, Fletcher

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading older books to see how the ideas of the author are seen in the present day. Fletcher was a professor of Christian social ethics. Many may claim that his ideas are the slippery slope that has lead to the moral wasteland where there is no right or wrong but moral responsibility changes with the situation. Such as, a woman has the right to end a pregnancy, but the father of said child should have no say or if said unborn child is killed in a car accident by a drunk driver, the driver can be prosecuted for the death of that child. This is one of the conundrums created by situational ethics.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get much out of this book. It seem to meander and wonder. It tried to explain why we should view ethics as always changing to meet the situation. Which to me came out as meaning that there really are no ethics, because how you have any standards if everything has to be made to fit the situation. Suddenly nothing can be right or wrong. It all depends on why you need to do something in the situation you find yourself in. Which to me means that can justify do what ever I want when I want to do it. I need to be responsible, to whom, myself, other people, society or maybe God? It was interesting to read, but I didn't learning anything useful.