Situation Ethics

The Four Working Principles:

-Joseph Fletcher's Situation Ethics is a teleological theory that prioritises love. It is guided by four key principles:

Pragmatism: Decisions should be practical and focused on what works best in each situation.
Relativism: Moral actions depend on the context rather than fixed rules.
Positivism: Faith in love as the guiding moral principle.
Personalism: Prioritising the well-being of individuals over laws or rules.

First principle: Zoos follow this principle by successfully protecting endangered species, providing medical care, and educating the public about wildlife conservation. By offering a safe environment for animals that may struggle to survive in the wild due to habitat destruction or poaching, zoos serve a beneficial purpose and act as a practical solution to conservation efforts.

Second principle: A well-maintained zoo that ensures high standards of care, contributes to conservation efforts, and prioritises animal well-being could be considered morally acceptable. However, a zoo that exploits animals for entertainment, neglects their needs, or keeps them in poor conditions would not be justified. Since the morality of zoos relies on context, they can sometimes agree with relativism.

Third principle: Some zoos that take great care of the animals and provide them with their needs, shows love as a guiding moral principle. However they also fail to fully meet this principle when they use the animals for profit and other gains.

Fourth principle: Zoos do not follow this principle, as the captivity focuses human interests, such as entertainment and economic gain, over the individual well-being and freedom of animals. Even when zoos contribute to conservation, the animals themselves may experience stress or boredom meaning their needs are not always the top priority. Since personalism requires that moral decisions put individuals first, keeping animals in enclosures for human benefit completely fails to align with this principle.

Strengths: Considers the context of each zoo. Emphasises compassion and care, encouraging humane treatment of animals.

Weaknesses: Lacks clear rules, which could lead to inconsistent decisions. Might justify unethical zoos in cases where their actions might work best for a certain situation but ignores deeper moral concerns.