Joseph Fletcher
Joseph Fletcher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Francis Fletcher April 10, 1905 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | October 28, 1991 (aged 86) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | West Virginia University, Berkeley Divinity School, Yale University, London School of Economics |
| Occupation(s) | Theologian, Episcopal priest, educator, author |
| Employer(s) | Episcopal Theological School, Harvard University, University of Virginia |
| Known for | Situational ethics, biomedical ethics |
| Awards | Humanist of the Year |
Joseph Francis Fletcher (April 10, 1905 – October 28, 1991) was an American professor who founded the theory of situational ethics in the 1960s. A pioneer in the field of bioethics. Fletcher was a leading academic proponent of the potential benefits of abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, eugenics, and cloning. Ordained as an Episcopal priest, he later identified himself as an atheist.