Ethical Natural Moral Law Situation Ethics Virtue Ethics
Issue
Theft • Violates primary precept of living in an ordered society • Decisions depend on whether theft promotes
agape love, the only intrinsic good.
• Theft is wrong if it dem
like greed or dishones
• Secondary precept: 'Do not steal' person would act with
• Fletcher: "Only one thing is intrinsically good; generosity.
•Aquinas in Summa Theologica (ST): "It would be lawful namely love: nothing else at all."
for a man who is starving to death to save someone • Aristotle: "The unjust
from starvation by stealing on his behalf" • Stealing may be justified if it leads to a loving much and the just ma
outcome, e.g., saving someone’s life or
•This would probably be a proportionalist response also protecting others. • Practical wisdom (phr
the right action in con
•The role of double effect in these exceptions • As Fletcher says, “love wills the neighbour’s
good”. • Virtue ethicists consid
person would do in th
•Application, for example, to the case of the student who
• Case-by-case application, considering balancing virtues like
wants to steal (then return) a library book in order to the agapeic calculus and the six fundamental justice. For example,
pass an important exam; or stealing a gun from a
principles, such as Love is always good, would argue that virtu
mentally disturbed individual
situationally. within social practices
• However, as Gene Garman put it, “There is
the danger that agape is simply being used to
justify what one wants to do anyway.”
Lying • Violates primary precept of living in an ordered • Lying may be permitted if it serves agape love
and avoids harm.
• Lying reflects vices lik
cowardice. A virtuous
society
honesty but might ba
• Secondary precept: 'Do not lie' • “Love is the only measure” (Fletcher). compassion dependin
(Doctrine of the Mean
• Links to the biblical commandment not to bear false • Flexible guidelines allow lying to protect
witness others, e.g., deceiving a murderer to save • Aristotle: "The aim of
lives. not the outward appe
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) - but their inward signi
lying: ..offends against the fundamental relation of • Fletcher uses the example of the “Christian
man and of his word to the Lord … Fronde”, lying to protect Jewish refugees from • Virtue ethicists consid
the Nasis, in Situation Ethics. character and motiva
• Aquinas ST, it is: … unnatural... anyone to signify by
words something that is not in his mind • Considers whether the lie is the most loving • For example, a virtue
action, judged situationally, to benefit the whether lying promot
• • Aquinas ST, therefore: ... it is not lawful to tell a lie neighbour. behaviour or reinforce
in order to deliver another from any danger whatever
…
• But it is permissible to: ... hide the truth prudently, by
keeping it back ...'
, Ethical Natural Moral Law Situation Ethics Virtue Ethics
Issue
Embryo • Harvesting embryonic stem cells seen by
the Catholic Church as murder
• Decisions depend on whether research/cloning
promotes agape love.
• Virtue ethics focuses on th
involved. Actions should re
research Therapeutic cloning destroys embryos, so • If it leads to curing diseases or saving lives, it may be
compassion and wisdom w
(excess pride).
•
& Cloning seen as murder justified despite ethical concerns.
• A virtuous scientist would b
• The genetic blueprint of a human is • For example, using embryos to find cures could be benefits with respect for lif
believed to be present at the moment of
justified if it produces the most loving outcome. that cultivate vices.
conception, so the 14-day rule leads to
embryo murder • Fletcher uses the phrase, “the end justifies the • Philippa Foot emphasises t
means”. virtues such as justice and
• Violates primary precept to worship God biomedical research.
• Love wills good results, “Love is not merely a feeling;
(the creator of life)
it is willing, doing, attitude” (Fletcher).
• Cloning seen as playing God / usurping
God's role as Creator
• Biblical statements showing that God
fashions and knows each person in the
womb (Job 31:15, Jeremiah 1:5)
• Such procedures violate the primary
precept of procreation (for example, most
embryonic stem cells are taken from
embryos left over from IVF, which
involves masturbation)
• Violates primary precept to worship God
(the creator of life)
• Violates primary precept of living in an
ordered society - 'scientific' reproduction
could lead to breakdown of the marriage
relationship
• Stem cell research / therapeutic cloning
do not pass the law of double effect -
they use a bad act to obtain a good result
Issue
Theft • Violates primary precept of living in an ordered society • Decisions depend on whether theft promotes
agape love, the only intrinsic good.
• Theft is wrong if it dem
like greed or dishones
• Secondary precept: 'Do not steal' person would act with
• Fletcher: "Only one thing is intrinsically good; generosity.
•Aquinas in Summa Theologica (ST): "It would be lawful namely love: nothing else at all."
for a man who is starving to death to save someone • Aristotle: "The unjust
from starvation by stealing on his behalf" • Stealing may be justified if it leads to a loving much and the just ma
outcome, e.g., saving someone’s life or
•This would probably be a proportionalist response also protecting others. • Practical wisdom (phr
the right action in con
•The role of double effect in these exceptions • As Fletcher says, “love wills the neighbour’s
good”. • Virtue ethicists consid
person would do in th
•Application, for example, to the case of the student who
• Case-by-case application, considering balancing virtues like
wants to steal (then return) a library book in order to the agapeic calculus and the six fundamental justice. For example,
pass an important exam; or stealing a gun from a
principles, such as Love is always good, would argue that virtu
mentally disturbed individual
situationally. within social practices
• However, as Gene Garman put it, “There is
the danger that agape is simply being used to
justify what one wants to do anyway.”
Lying • Violates primary precept of living in an ordered • Lying may be permitted if it serves agape love
and avoids harm.
• Lying reflects vices lik
cowardice. A virtuous
society
honesty but might ba
• Secondary precept: 'Do not lie' • “Love is the only measure” (Fletcher). compassion dependin
(Doctrine of the Mean
• Links to the biblical commandment not to bear false • Flexible guidelines allow lying to protect
witness others, e.g., deceiving a murderer to save • Aristotle: "The aim of
lives. not the outward appe
• Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) - but their inward signi
lying: ..offends against the fundamental relation of • Fletcher uses the example of the “Christian
man and of his word to the Lord … Fronde”, lying to protect Jewish refugees from • Virtue ethicists consid
the Nasis, in Situation Ethics. character and motiva
• Aquinas ST, it is: … unnatural... anyone to signify by
words something that is not in his mind • Considers whether the lie is the most loving • For example, a virtue
action, judged situationally, to benefit the whether lying promot
• • Aquinas ST, therefore: ... it is not lawful to tell a lie neighbour. behaviour or reinforce
in order to deliver another from any danger whatever
…
• But it is permissible to: ... hide the truth prudently, by
keeping it back ...'
, Ethical Natural Moral Law Situation Ethics Virtue Ethics
Issue
Embryo • Harvesting embryonic stem cells seen by
the Catholic Church as murder
• Decisions depend on whether research/cloning
promotes agape love.
• Virtue ethics focuses on th
involved. Actions should re
research Therapeutic cloning destroys embryos, so • If it leads to curing diseases or saving lives, it may be
compassion and wisdom w
(excess pride).
•
& Cloning seen as murder justified despite ethical concerns.
• A virtuous scientist would b
• The genetic blueprint of a human is • For example, using embryos to find cures could be benefits with respect for lif
believed to be present at the moment of
justified if it produces the most loving outcome. that cultivate vices.
conception, so the 14-day rule leads to
embryo murder • Fletcher uses the phrase, “the end justifies the • Philippa Foot emphasises t
means”. virtues such as justice and
• Violates primary precept to worship God biomedical research.
• Love wills good results, “Love is not merely a feeling;
(the creator of life)
it is willing, doing, attitude” (Fletcher).
• Cloning seen as playing God / usurping
God's role as Creator
• Biblical statements showing that God
fashions and knows each person in the
womb (Job 31:15, Jeremiah 1:5)
• Such procedures violate the primary
precept of procreation (for example, most
embryonic stem cells are taken from
embryos left over from IVF, which
involves masturbation)
• Violates primary precept to worship God
(the creator of life)
• Violates primary precept of living in an
ordered society - 'scientific' reproduction
could lead to breakdown of the marriage
relationship
• Stem cell research / therapeutic cloning
do not pass the law of double effect -
they use a bad act to obtain a good result
