Situation ethics and transactional analysis

Abstract

It is the purpose of this paper to establish an analogy between two separate but related fields of human behavior: situation ethics and transactional analysis. Situation ethics as a concept is somewhat more heterogeneous than it appears at first glance. Nevertheless it finds its clearest modern proponent in John Fletcher. In his Situation Ethics, Fletcher postulates three alternatives in the area of moral decision-making: legalism, antinomianism, and situationism.1 Legalism suggests to one that he base his moral decisions on whatever the prevailing rules and laws of his society and/or religion may be at that time. These rules and regulations are to be viewed as authoritative directions rather than as simple guidelines or usually satisfying suggestions. he existence of a principle, law, or commandment that will apply to any given moral problem at hand is assumed. The antinomianism alternative holds that moral choices are to be made with no principles, laws, or maxims at all. Moral decisions are made rather spontaneously, follow no logical pattern, and are not consistent from one situation to the next. Finally, situationism suggests an alternative: the person makes moral choices based on the divine commandment of love. The divine commandment, "love thy neighbor," is to be the guide one follows, and the laws, rules, principles of one's religion are to be followed as guidelines to help one decide what the law of love would suggest about any given moral problem. It is obvious from such definitions that Fletcher's bias lies with situation ethics, for him the logical and rational approach lying between the irresponsible spontaneity of antinomianism and the somewhat more responsible, yet still restraining, influence of legalism. Transactional analysis Transactional analysis is a personality theory and treatment technique origi nated by a psychiatrist, Eric Berne. The theoretical details are outlined in two of his books, Transactional Analysis in Psychotherapy,2 and Games People Play.3 Personality structure in transactional analysis is postulated as an interaction of three "states" within the person: Parent-Adult-Child.