Situational ethics

The situation ethics is an ethical model that tries not to justify the moral conduct by the highest standards and values ​​, but solely based on the life and circumstances (environment) of the individual. The basic idea is that the oneness and uniqueness of both the individual and the particular situation in which this has to make his action decision makes the preparation and justification of general principles and standards impossible. The situation ethics takes the circumstances in which the individual is, seriously and has relation to reality. However, this ethics model often represents an overtaxing of the individual and does not consider the positive functions of standards. The situation ethics is also provided with the argument in question that a situational individual decision can not be made without reasonable general principles.

The situation ethics, for example, attributed to Existentialism. She is assigned to the Christian ethics.

According to some sources, the term was coined in 1950 by Karl Rahner and deepened in Dietrich von Hildebrand. Other sources name John A.T. Robinson and Joseph Fletcher.

The Roman Catholic Church has the situation ethics discarded 1983 ( Veritatis Splendor ).