2. Ethical Decision-Making
Ethical egoism is the theory that the morality of an act
is determined by one’s self-interest.
Although egoism has its appeal in the contemporary
culture, there are problems with it as an all-
encompassing ethical system.
First, egoism does not provide any way to umpire
conflicting interest without appeal to some other
system.
Second, the Bible calls believers and unbelievers to a
balance of self-interest and altruism.
3. Ethical Decision-Making
Utilitarianism is what is known as a teleological system
(taken from the Greek word telos, meaning “end”), in
which the end produced is what determines the
morality of an act.
Deontological moral systems are based on principles.
According to Rae & Wong, deontological reasoning is
the mode of moral reasoning that most people use
when making difficult decisions.
Most religious traditions that are centered around a
book (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) are not
deontological in their ethical outlook.
4. Ethical Decision-Making
Emotivism holds that personal feelings are the most
important determinant of right and wrong.
The Virtue Theory holds that there is more to morality
than simply doing the right thing. It is an ethics of
character, not of duty.
“The Bible is NOT an ethics book.” (Rae & Wong)
When interpreting the Bible and applying it to
contemporary business, one must recognize that the
Bible was written in different types of literature, each
of which has its own distinctives.
