ABSTRACT
In 1997, Joseph Fletcher,1 an Episcopalian clergyman in the United States, released a new version of his book on ethics.2 Fletcher’s argument was that the most ethical thing to do in any situation was to follow the path of implementing ‘the greatest love’ for the person or people involved. He was trying to find a middle road between the emphases of various approaches to ethics. His argument was that the emphasis should always be on the results – the outcome or consequences – of any action. In other words, assessments of whether or not an action is ethical can only be made by assessing the action in relation to its context.
