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Joseph Fletcher | |
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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)[1] was an American professor who founded the theory of situational ethics in the 1960s, and was 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.[citation needed]