Legalism versus Antinomianism versus Situationism
Fletcher distinguished three ethical approaches: legalism (rigid adherence to rules, ignoring circumstances), antinomianism (moral relativism, denying objective ethics), and situationism (love-based contextualism, balancing principles and circumstances).
Real World
The Vatican's absolute prohibition on contraception regardless of circumstances represents legalism; a purely subjective 'do whatever feels right' sexual ethic represents antinomianism — Fletcher's situationism steers between both.
Exam Focus
Structure 'compare' answers using the three-column method: legalism | situationism | antinomianism on each criterion (rules, love, outcomes) for full AO1 marks.
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