Situation Ethics: The New Morality

Igniting a firestorm of controversy upon its publication in 1966, Joseph Fletcher's Situation Ethics was 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, and killing - may 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.