Western Ethical Theories The objective of this work is to examine Western Ethical theories including teleological, deontological, natural law, and interest view and virtue ethics.

The work of Bennett-Woods (2005) states that while the words 'ethics' and 'morality' are "often used interchangeably, morality is more precisely used to refer to the customs, principles of conduct and moral codes of an individual, group or society." Ethics, is also stated to be termed "moral philosophy of the science of morals" and is the branch of philosophy that examines "morality through the critical examination of right and wrong in human action." (Bennett-Woods, 2005)

The study of ethics is generally characterized into three specific domains of study include those of: (1) metaethics which is related to the nature of right and wrong insofar as the where and how of the original of ethical judgments and what these judgments mean regarding the human nature and behavior; (2) Normative ethics which seeks to define precise standards and principles that serve to guide the individual's ethical conduct and serve to answer questions related to what is valuable and how the assessment and justification of actions is conducted; (3) Applied Ethics which is employed in analyzing specific and practical issues. There is a fourth category stated to be that of 'Descriptive Ethics' which provides a description for the "ethical beliefs, norms and behaviors of an individual or group as they actually exist, as opposed to how they ought to exist." (Bennett-Woods, 2005)

I. Moral Objectivism and Ethical Relativism

Moral objectivism is stated to hold that "at least some moral principles and rules are objectively knowable on the basis of observation and human reasoning. The term universalism suggests that basic right and wrong is the same for everyone, while also allowing for some variation in individual circumstances and context." (Bennett-Woods, 2005) Ethical absolutism is the "view that there exists an eternal and unchanging moral law that transcends the physical world...

(Bennett-Woods, 2005, paraphrased)
II. Deontology

Deontological Ethics is stated to be an ethical theory that holds that centric to all decisions is the consideration of the duties of the individual and rights possessed by other individuals. According to the Deontological school of ethical reason there is the existence of "a priori moral obligation' and this indicates that a set of permanently defined and non-changing principles exist by which the individual should live regardless of a change in circumstances. (Global Oneness, 2010, paraphrased)

III. Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is stated to be one of the primary approaches in normative ethics. Three of the central concepts of virtue ethics are reported to be: (1) virtue; (2) practical wisdom; and (3) eudemonia. (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003) Plato and Aristotle are the founders of virtue ethics, which has its roots in Chinese philosophy and was the primary approach in Western moral philosophy "until at least the Enlightenment." (Stanford Encyclopedia, 2010) Virtues include such as honesty, loyalty, and so forth but it is…