A Level: Edexcel

A detailed investigation into William Barclay's key ideas on situation ethics, including what they are, how they work, and why they're important. This lesson provides a brief biography of William Barclay and covers the chapter on situation ethics in his Ethics in a Permissive Society. This includes criticism of situation ethics on three grounds: first, it promotes anarchy; second, it is unnecessary because law-based Christian ethics are sound; and third, it does not achieve its aims.

William Barclay's Ethics in a Permissive Society isn't exclusively about situation ethics. Nevertheless, his views on the new morality are important because he was one of its earliest popular critics. Although I don't accept some of William Barclay's criticisms, they're definitely worth reading in the original, which is available here. His style is eloquent and readable, not least because the BBC initially broadcast the contents of Ethics in a Permissive Society as a lecture series. Whether you agree or disagree with his ideas, it's handy to have a working knowledge of his critique.