Starter quiz
- What is ethics?
- the study of right and wrong ✓
- the study of law
- the study of history
- the study of culture
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- What is the root meaning of the word 'deon' in 'deontology'?
- goal
- duty ✓
- good
- happiness
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- What is the root meaning of the word 'telos' in 'teleology'?
- duty
- good
- goal ✓
- happiness
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- What is the main difference between deontological ethics and teleological ethics?
- deontological ethics focuses on outcome and teleological ethics focuses on duty
- deontological ethics prioritises duty, while teleological ethics values outcome ✓
- deontological ethics looks at compassion; teleological ethics looks at character
- deontological ethics is about feelings, while teleological ethics is about laws
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- What word could we use to describe a set of circumstances or events that require a decision or action to be made?
- a situation ✓
- an outcome
- a rule
- a habit
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- Jesus taught his followers to 'love your __________'.
- friends
- neighbour ✓
- family
- life
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Exit quiz
- What is agape love?
- a love based on mutual interests and benefits
- a friendly and affectionate love between friends
- a selfless, unconditional love that seeks the well-being of others ✓
- a romantic and passionate type of love
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- Who developed situation ethics?
- Jeremy Bentham
- Joseph Fletcher ✓
- Immanuel Kant
- Thomas Aquinas
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- Situation ethics is not deontological because it takes each ______ into account.
- 'situation' ✓
- Why is situation ethics considered a teleological theory?
- because it focuses on rules and duties
- because it emphasises the consequences of actions ✓
- because it is based on fixed moral principles
- because it ignores the outcomes of actions
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- How does situation ethics guide decision-making?
- by following strict religious rules regardless of the situation
- by considering only one's own feelings and desires
- by acting based on what produces the most love for all involved ✓
- by prioritising traditional teachings over all else
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- Put the stages that someone would go through when applying situation ethics in the correct order.
- 1⇔Identify the situation.
- 2⇔Identify the different actions you could take.
- 3⇔Calculate how much agape love would be produced by each action.
- 4⇔Choose the action that brings about the most agape love.
Worksheet
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Presentation
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Lesson Details
Key learning points
- Christians use different methods for making ethical decisions, including using deontological approaches & virtue ethics.
- Joseph Fletcher introduced situation ethics in the 1960s as an alternative approach for Christians.
- The fundamental belief in situation ethics is that agape love is the only intrinsic good.
- Situation ethics is teleological because it means focusing on the situation & deciding which is the most loving action.
- One criticism is that people have different ideas about what is the most loving action.
Common misconception
Situation ethics allows for any action to be justified as long as it feels loving to the individual.
Situation ethics requires thoughtful consideration and aims for actions that promote selfless and agape love for the well-being of others, rather than justifying actions based on individual feelings.
Keywords
Agape love - the selfless, unconditional love that Jesus taught through the command to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’
Joseph fletcher - an American Christian theologian who developed situation ethics in the 1960s
Situation ethics - an ethical theory which argues that the most loving action should guide decisions in each situation
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