| Show STUDENT LIFE JULY 26 1966 THE Book Review Light Shed On ‘New Morality' Situation Ethics The New Flet- Morality by Joseph cher The Westminster Press Philadelphia 1966 176 pp $195 paperback By the Rev Miner E Bruner D I) It is time a book review helped at least a few people so that the words “now morality” don’t cause a mental block With all the current confusion the concerning “new morality” it is refreshing to find Fletcher’s Situation Ethics shedding adequate light on a subject which has so many amateur theologians in the dark Man functions on and with beliefs every man is a theologian (whether agnostic or pietist ic wholher rank or amateur or acclaimed expert) and modern man is then miserably mistaken when he passes hastv judgment on today's theological movements without adequate investigation and study Fletcher makes no claims for perfect ethics The label "new morality” is not altogether justified since it is not exactly new and since as a method its roots lie securely (not conventionally) in the classical tradition of Western Christian morals His introduction to the matter at hand is hard nosed There are but three approaches to follow in making moral decisions and the (1) legal- istic is easiest for multitudes The opposite (2) antinomian is anti-laand law-les- s and The challenge unprincipled of the day is (3) situational and the author finds nothing short of this adequate even though the difficulties often mean wrestling and hard work Legalism has plainly held n sway in the era But systematic orthodoxy was precisely that which was blasted by Jesus The w Judo-Christia- polar opposite antimomian-isis the approach where climbs into the decisionuiv making ling and flails about with no principles or maxims a ha (soever even unmindful of referee and rules Fletcher notes “Gnostics are so flatly opposed to law t heir moral decisions are errandom unpredictable ratic quite anomalous” Paul fought this issue at Coronth and Ephesus It is the favored third approach of Situation Ethics (between legalism and antinamionism) where man makes his decisions fully armed Hath ethical maxims of community and heritage and uses both for light to clarify he may compromise them or even set them aside if he seems to serve love better by so doing No words are timeless all messages refer to actual situations We now quite easily use the glove (situation ethics) as we have become familiar to the kind of ball game we’re in Tire temper of the new morality is empirical data conscious inquiring intimoralistc and concrete concerned (to bring Christian imperatives into practical op m -- fact-mind- anti-legalist- cae-focuse- d ic ed eration) hard working (guide lines from II Cor 3:6 “The written code kills but the spirit gives life” and Gal 5:14 ‘‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself”) And so Christian Situation Ethics is not living by law but an effort to relate love to a world of relatives through a easuisty obedient to love The purpose of this book is to show ho wevery man (no one else can do it) must make moral decisions according to his own estimate of conditions and consequences The author spares no pains to eliminate the reader’s misconceptions about the word “love” One must be straight on agapeic love it cannot be the eros (sensual) kind nor the phileo (filial) kind Only one thing is intrinsically good and that is love — love is always good It is the one and only regulative principle of Christian ethics saying “do what you can where you are” Martin Heinecken in God in The Space Age says “God is not reason but love and he employs reason as the instrument of his love” and Fletcher sees here the theology of situation ethics Worse than evil is indifference to evil The lowest point to wheih one can sink or step as far as Christian ethics is concerned is to give out iwth “I couldn’t care less” The ruling norm of Christian desision is love nothing else Fletcher surveys the Ten Commandements Typical is the comment on the fourth one: “The situationist says ‘the better the deed the better the day’” For it is conceivable that it becomes one’s duty to break the commandment (or all 10) in some situations If love is the only norm if love has no equals the “new morality” separates Christian conduct from rigid nnrl ri cri r rrArc? Perhaps most telling of all is the third proposition where illuminating light floods dark corners of Christian and ethics Others have referred to the waters of all ethics being completely muddled over “love not justice” nad “justice not love” gambits The tendency of too many has been to make love a sentiment rather than a formal principle Romance minded man romanticizes love or thinks of a Jonathan-Davi- d friendship but agapeic love is what is due to all others to all of our neighbors to those we do not even know And justice is simply love working out its problems Situation ethics makes no mistake here love equals justice justice equals love They are the same for to be loving is to be just and to be just is t be loving IIow sharp the line “Justice is Christian love using its head calculating its duties obligations opportunJustice ities resources is love coping with situations Clearly now the new morality no longer an offensive term shows that only the end justifies the means nothing else This is agapeic love non-Christi- an are made y nor prescriptiv-elsituationally a so is grey-arethe for much larger than the black and white added together Hence the Christian faith gives him three “universals” : He knows the Love’s TARGET Ralph Maughan Jr BOARD decisions Chaotic British Economy situa-tionist- ’s what it is love He knows the why for God’s sake He knows the who it is for his neighbors — people Farm System? Editor Student Life It is realized by this quarter that letters are ineffectual except as wastecan fodder and as a steam valve Recognizing this let this letter be added to those that have gone before In an earlier period in the history of American Universities educators thought it necessary to provide a rationale for the existance of intercollegiate athletics Justification is no longer sought when sought it can hardly be found Lack of direction from college administrators and an inordinate desire for athletic supremacy from alumni coaches and ahtletic directors have distorted the roles of the athlete on the campus and of athletics in the university It seems necessary to reevaluate the meaning of the athletic program on the college campus Meaningful questions heed to be posed by groups with access to the power structure questions by interested but powerless persons have been ignored or labeled irrelevant of by the philosopher-king- s the athletic department The following questions are not the most meaningful but they are at least questions: In the building of a new stadium justified? Do past attendance figures and future drawing power justify building a larger structure when the existing structure has been filled only several times since renovation? Do we continue begging at the door of a conference interested in expansion but not in Utah State? Do we aim for a realistic regional inter- or collegiate participation a national glory in the process letting our athltic program degenerate to little more than a farm system for the pro clubs from which they reap the benefits the students reap the subsidy and the stadium bill and the athletes reap bank accounts? The administration seems hesitant to encounter debate Only with prodigious effort was Bus Williams goaded into defending departm ent plans and his justification was an emotional appeal for glory and prestige reminiscent of his earlier locker room More thoughtful speeches do we aspire to British Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s recent austerity move that froze all prices and wages in Great Britain for six months is a bold attempt to restore order to a chaotic British economy Britain’s economy is heading toward disaster while most Britons show no concern Great Britain has lost the physical base necessary to be a world power but the English do not seem to care They are most concerned with an eer higher standard of liing or the latest show on the tele or the latest sex scandal The unending demands for higher wages caused the immediate crisis in England British workers are getting wage increases averaging 9 percent a year but the British national product is growing in real terms only about 1 percent a year The result is rapid inflation which has put great pressure on the pound sterling Less seere measures than the most recent have been borrowing over $4 billion from the U S the International Monetary Fund and various European nations and raising the interest rate to 7 percent in London in order to keep foreign money in the country These past measures failed because the inflation continued to raise the price of British exports and hence lowering their demand in other countries ' j j j J ) j Britons continue to demand 9 percent wage increases when they should have asked for only about 1 percent if they didn't want inflation Britons are like everyone else in wanting higher wages but unlike most countries their econmy is so slow in its raises cannot be provided gi'owth rate that Why doesn’t Britain’s economy grow faster? The American national product grew 52 percent last year in real terms! I see three reasons for the unimpressive British growth rate: (which is England’s real problem) overpowerful labor unions backward industrial techniques and an educational system inadequate for an industrial econmy British labor unions have fought technical improvements through featherbedding practices (even thoug hit already takes three British workers to produce as much as one American worker) Business is not a very respective occupation in England therefore productivity is held back further because the Also brightest people stay away from business as a career the English businessmen are conservative thus hindering adoption oi new teenniques The whole inefficient system is perpetuated by the English educational system Only the upper class and the very bright students get a higher education in England This system doesn't provide enough doctors scientists engineers and technicians to have a growing economy Furthermore Britain’s schools have the same bias as the genera the public They instill these values in the future leaders of nation What doctors scientists technicians etc that are produce faor-ablby the system often quickly emmigrate to the more surroundings of the U S Canada or Australia Great Britain must do the following if it wants to regain its position as a world power: train more scientific an technical people allocate more money to research and de'e opment embark on a large program of capital inyestmen with an eye on incorporating the latest technology ifl try broaden higher education and provide occupation values befitting the Twentieth Century most importantly British must become less apathetic and prepare to cr fice a bit for several years a j non-inflationa- ry anti-busine- ss e Will the British change ? I don’t think so unless Eng has a bad crisis The English always pull together m apat but in peace they tend to be a pleasure-seekin- g lot Politicians talk about the English as our partners i Europe but if our partners don’t change their ways few years we won’t want them answers than those we have received are needed The issues are deeper than the national ranking of the football team Our administration passes-sc- s a raveneous appetite for subsidized recreation but a small vision for intellectual pursuits Is the university to be conceived just as a collection of new dormitories i fl al1 mtbodics and usde-ogram Let education our tion by indepe f administration people is neCl ath destroy the to ie but rather neasureofhum I 5 i |
