Comparing and Contrasting Theories of Ethics Theory Of Ethics Virtue Ethics (VE) (Deontological) Natural Law Ethics (NL) (Deontological) Trust-based or Troth Ethics (TE) (Deontological) Divine Command (DC) (Deontological) Utilitarianism (U) (Consequentialist) Author of Origin (Aristotle: selfsufficiency model): this is a pantheistic model, but the insights on moral character and justice have informed all theories of ethics, & so can be integrated into other theories. VE connects character development w/ acceptance of truth and goodness as revealed in the universe. Ethics are really about morality. (Thomas Aquinas: Thomism of Roman Catholic Church: nature as redeemed/ completed by grace - Christ) Christian view applying revealed truth through Divine Law (DL), Natural Law (NL), & Human Law (HL), to see how faith completes thinking. Ethics is the acting out of faith within society. (Christian Reformed, Protestant: Dooyeweerd & Olthuis): Faith transforms people’s vision and values. Christian view applying the Word of God (Jesus and the Bible, and 15 irreducible Creational laws) to the loving work of transforming our world. Ethics is a unique law w/in the order of God’s creation for building networks of trust in community. (Protestant focus: emulating God’s perfect character): Be Christ to one another. Christian view that applies scripture to human action to correct sinful actions and to promote the image of God’s perfect character to one another. Ethics refers to actions of motivated by obedience to God’s Word in contrast to sinful actions. An atheistic view forged during the empirical era by Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Util. ethics emphasizes the common good over the individual person’s good. The focus on measuring consequences against desired outcomes has led many people today to try to apply ethics without making fundamental value judgments. Praise or blame is based on how the results help or hurt the majority in our society. Ethics is focused on social well-being and places human pleasure seeking in that context. Nature of man Rational nature of man; body/soul composite. Man is a body/soul composite, with a rational soul and faith completes reasoning. Man is a spiritual being in which creation is created by irreducible aspects of meaning; Faith contextualizes & directs/guides reasoning. Man is a body/ soul composite. God offers restoration of man’s fallenness (away from God) into sin through obeying scriptural revelations of how to live. Man is a social creature, driven by pleasure, capable of rational speculation Virtue Ethics Natural law Ethics Trust-based Ethics Divine Command Ethics Utilitarianism The essence of ethical judgment as explained by each theory of ethics Virtue – performance towards the good; Good leads to complete wellbeing. The focus is on being a good person rather than worrying about how every action is good or bad. The purpose guiding ac.

1. Comparing and Contrasting Theories of Ethics
Theory
Of Ethics
Virtue Ethics
(VE)
(Deontological)
Natural Law
Ethics (NL)
(Deontological)
Trust-based or Troth Ethics (TE)
(Deontological)
Divine
Command
(DC)
(Deontological)
Utilitarianism
(U)
(Consequentialist)
Author of Origin
(Aristotle: selfsufficiency model): this is a pantheistic model,
but the insights on moral character and justice have informed all
theories of ethics, & so can be integrated into other theories.
VE connects character development w/ acceptance of truth and
goodness as revealed in the universe. Ethics are really about
morality.
(Thomas Aquinas:
Thomism of
Roman Catholic Church: nature as redeemed/ completed by
grace - Christ) Christian view applying revealed truth through
Divine Law (DL),
Natural Law (NL),

2. & Human Law
(HL), to see how faith completes thinking. Ethics is the acting
out of faith within society.
(Christian
Reformed,
Protestant:
Dooyeweerd &
Olthuis): Faith transforms people’s vision and values.
Christian view applying the Word of God (Jesus and the Bible,
and 15 irreducible Creational laws) to the loving work of
transforming our world. Ethics is a unique law w/in the order
of God’s creation for building networks of trust in community.
(Protestant focus: emulating God’s perfect character): Be Christ
to one another. Christian view that applies scripture to human
action to correct sinful actions and to promote the image of
God’s perfect character to one another. Ethics refers to actions
of motivated by obedience to God’s Word in contrast to sinful
actions.
An atheistic view forged during the empirical era by
Jeremy Bentham and
John Stuart Mill. Util.
ethics emphasizes
the common good
over the individual person’s good. The focus on measuring
consequences against desired outcomes has led many people
today
to try to apply ethics without making fundamental value
judgments. Praise or blame is based on how the results help or
hurt the majority in our society. Ethics is focused on social
well-being and places human pleasure seeking in that context.
Nature of man
Rational nature of man; body/soul composite.
Man is a body/soul composite, with a rational soul and faith
completes reasoning.

3. Man is a spiritual being in which creation is created by
irreducible aspects of meaning; Faith contextualizes &
directs/guides reasoning.
Man is a body/ soul composite. God offers restoration of man’s
fallenness (away from God) into sin through obeying scriptural
revelations of how to live.
Man is a social creature, driven by pleasure, capable
of rational speculation
Virtue Ethics
Natural law Ethics
Trust-based Ethics
Divine Command
Ethics
Utilitarianism
The essence of ethical judgment as explained by each theory of
ethics
Virtue – performance towards the good; Good leads to complete
wellbeing. The focus is on being a good person rather than
worrying about how every action is good or bad.
The purpose guiding actions reveals right and wrong by how
true and good the purpose is (for everyone.) Faith completes
rational analysis of good purposes. Virtue is about adding faith
in God to moral character Ethical rightness is revealed in three
ways: DL, NL, and
HL.
Trust-building towards relational Integrity as guided by faith.
Faith transforms our values & we see that trust, while having
rational & emotional aspects, is the defining unique essence of
ethical nurturing and reliance. As all things seek integrity, so
there is a God-ordained integrity to relationships, evidenced by
virtues in one’s personal conduct & the analysis of situational
factors that shape ethical judgments & ways we trust.
Obedience to scripture: the sincerity of faith in God is evaluated

4. by the
call to be Christlike in character and mission. Virtue is
measured by both the content & commitment to embody or
reflect the perfect character of God. Anything
short of perfection implies the presence of sin in one’s life &
culture.
Utility: virtue is redefined in terms of how useful one is to
achieving pleasant outcomes. Pleasure reveals what is good for
human beings (hedonism). We measure pleasure quantitatively
and qualitatively with focus on societal good for the
majority. (In empiricism consequences give meaning of right
and wrong to actions, that means that the action has cannot be
judged as ethical or not until the consequences are measured.)
Tools for analyzing ethical
meaning
(The business issues will be separate from the ethical.)
Analyze the actions for the presence of virtues and vices
motivating and/or shaping people’s actions. Each person bears
responsibility for their part in the interaction.
Analyze actions for their guiding purpose and inherent (shaping
performance and considerations) values within different law
spheres of
revelation: DL, NL, HL, in order to clarify the driving motives
or values of the people in the situation.
Analyze the situational factors for Spiritual (faith and/vs.
cultural values), ethical (factors of the relationship type,
history, purpose, level of intimacy) and moral value (virtues and
vices) levels of meaning as these values impact the trust
dynamics within the situation.
Analyze the actions for motivations that are either Christlike in
obedience, or that are sinful. Then, discern the spiritual
directives driving the situation so that you know what to
address in order to bring about God’s love in people’s lives.
Analyze, both quantitatively & qualitatively, the consequences
of actions taken, and evaluate the pleasures created for society.

5. If the majority (50.1%) are pleased, then the action was mostly
good or ethical; if less than this, then the action was unethical.
Interpreting consequences Note: Science tests, reason
comprehends.
Rationalism: “Analysis seeks to align intention, & action with
desired results. This provides evidence of how reality actually
works” Practical wisdom applies theory to the unique factors of
situations.
Rationalism: Anticipating consequences that contain certain
values leads to practical wisdom- acting appropriately in a
situation with right and biblical principles
Rationalism: Evidence of how creation actually works: Leads to
practical wisdom: thinking about how best to act rightly in a
situation within the cultural parameters within which we
experience the ethical basis of relationships.
Rationalism: Results provide evidence of how reality actually
works:
Leads to practical wisdom: thinking about how best to act
rightly within specific situations in obedience to divine
commands.
Empiricism or consequentialism: Consequences reveal whether
an action was good or bad by how much pleasure and pain the
action brings about, respectively; we have a duty to accept
actions that benefit the majority (W, 99)
Theoretical emphases of each theory of ethics

6. Man matures
naturally in response to his environment. Reason acknowledges
the normal striving after Self-love, that leads to (=>) virtue=>
integrity; and => Justice. Aristotle emphasizes the
organic model of selfsufficiency focusing on wholeness; truth is
revealed most accurately through the integrating power of
goodness.
Man matures in a socio/-political environment, with the natural
drive to be good, but truth is mired in the sin of our history and
culture, and so some effects of sin seems normal to many non-
Christians.
Christian faith directs and opens reasoning to find eternal
truths, and to find God. General revelation of truth is analyzed
by NL and HL; special revelation of truth is revealed by DL:
i.e. by the Holy Bible, Holy Spirit in the Church, and (by the
Spirit) by special Papal decree.
Man matures
spiritually while having faith in something,
(because faith is natural to all men) & a person’s faith shapes
how that person interprets the world. Goodness is revealed in
all aspects of creation, & we interpret goodness through our
faith. Ethics is revealed relationally as we
move through
self-love, to the Golden Rule, and by Christian faith
to God & God’s
acts of love. All knowledge is value-laden, because of the
intricacies of order. Rational analysis abstracts levels & kinds
of values from facts shaping situations.
Man matures in a sinful, fallen world. Man is fallen and
incapable of reasoning correctly in the pursuit of truth, & so

7. man needs God’s grace to overcome sin’s effects, and this is the
focus of ethical meaning. A person’s faith in God and obedience
to Special Revelation inspires people to work at bearing God’s
image by emulating the perfect character of God. This is the
means to sanctification; Truth is best revealed in the Holy
Bible, and perfectly lived in Jesus.
Man matures in pursuit of pleasure. Rational analysis led by
empiricism will yield true knowledge. Knowledge is
scientifically acquired and so is consequentialist in its
interpretations. Ethical goodness is measured as pleasures and
happiness for the majority of people in society; the ends justify
the means, because the ends are knowable, the means are
internal to a person’s self and motives behind one’s actions.
The world is not perfect, so no solution can be either.
Virtue Ethics
Natural law Ethics
Trust-based Ethics
Divine Command
Ethics
Utilitarianism
Conditioning factors of analysis
Self-control, courage, friendliness and justice are principal
virtues for social engagement. Vice is evident when there is
loss to any of these. Fairness in judgment comes with respect
of persons in society.
Virtue ethics
gets at faith through Wisdom, which is gained by intellectual
and moral virtue (IV & MV) Ethics fits into the larger context
of
society and so justice. Its integration of
concerns =
TV -> DC, D, SV
MV

8. Society -> HL
Rational analysis of culture and our current lives brings with it
need for awareness of dominant theories and practices (HL).
Analysis of natural strivings helps us to be honest and humane
about our lives (Evaluative NL question: are we honest about
human nature in how we live?). Analysis of divine guidance
leads us to interpret the intent of DL, which offers graceful
correctives to all cultures and societies.
Natural Law includes the following and integrates the following
EL
DL -> DC
NL
HL -> VE
Analysis focuses on how and to what degree trust is being
nurtured, maintained, neglected, or betrayed by people’s
actions, policies, and organizational structures. The contextual
factors, the situation, the roles, levels of loyalty, and the history
of the relationship constitute the dynamics important to wise
practical judgment. Sharing yourself, and trusting (relying on)
another for goods in life establishes the relational connections
by which we enjoy and live out our full creaturely calling. TE
integrates the following. Values: Spiritual, Ethical,
Moral, & Business
SV -> DC
EV
MV -> VE
BV
First we identify the sin that is causing us distress, then we
demonstrate how the sinful action falls short of action(s) guided
by divine commands. We analyze divine commands for
their logical coherence and universality of application and for
their depth of meaning. We defend our interpretation of the
Divine
Command(s) with the consistency of scriptural passages and

9. coherence within biblical terminology.
Identify the
common good and those who determine what the common good
is. Rational analysis of the common good defines the measures
of pleasure used in judging the consequences of the actions.
Judgment of the action is based on the qualitative and
quantitative measures by which people are affected by the
action. Determining who is affected by the action is part of the
quantitative analysis. This leads to a social measure of the
ethics of the actions taken. (W,
102-3)
Apply either Rule or Act
Utilitarianism’s interpretation of how to bring about “the
greatest good for the greatest number.”
About the Christian faith in these theories: Divine Command,
Natural Law and Troth or Trust Ethics all are Christian theories
of ethics, and hold to the gospel celebrating Christ’s redemption
of the creation. Some of the specifics I have given are to
suggest emphases in the application of ethics, but are not
intended to indicate any exclusion of ideas from the other
views. The other views would phrase, understand and prioritize
within their expression of the faith these same ideas differently,
for the most part.
The focus of this project is Ethical Analysis, judgment and
logical thinking with argumentation.
· Use at least two Bible references.
· Include references for any sources used in relation to any
content provided and summarized.
· 4-5 pages
Instructions of the paper:
1. Formulate the ethical dilemma to be resolved.
2. Identify the ethical issues and significant points of analysis.
3. Articulate a position to take, by introducing the directives
that you will use to resolve this case.
4. Use either a deontological or character approach to ethical

10. reasoning.
5. Use the Christian faith and Christian values explicitly, as you
make your judgment in alignment with the chosen theory of
ethics.
6. Explain the points of your analysis in language appropriate to
the ethics theory’s view of ethical content and the Christian
faith as you go over the case.
7. Provide persuasive arguments as to why your position is
ethically good and good for business.
8. The essay should be well organized by the thesis and the
introduced approach to your analysis.
9. Define terms and briefly explain the theories when you refer
to them.
10. Insightfulness: elaborate on and develop your insights.
Diamonds Are Forever
One popular advertisement for engagement rings sponsored by
the DE Beers Diamond Company poses the following question
to men planning proposal: “Is two months’ salary too much to
spend?”
Many suitors take “two months’ salary” as an unwritten
rule of etiquette and as a measurement stick of how well they’ve
faired in the jewelry aspect of courtship. However, “two-
months” is not written in any well-known traditional books on
wedding etiquette. It simply seems to be an extremely effective
creation of De Beers Company, which controls a large share of
the world diamond market.
While wedding rings were traditionally regarded as
symbols of vows to lifelong commitment, they today symbolize
wealth and, to some, how much the suitor loves his bride-to-be.
Givers and receivers of the glimmering objects can be regularly
comparing the caret weight, cost, and so on of their “symbols”
with friends and family members.
This seems like a clear situation in which the diamond
business has violated consumer autonomy by “creating” a new
need through exploiting basic human needs to fit in and impress

11. others. For some potential suitors, simply saying no in the face
of social pressures to value his bride-to-be is difficult.
Advertisers would probably respond that they are simply
“fulfilling” latent human’s desires rather than creating them.
Indeed, it appears that the “need” or desire to impress peers and
the bride-to-be is already in existence.
Questions:
1. Is the prevalence of the belief of the “two months’ salary
rule” proof of the power of advertisers to create needs by
exploiting human insecurity? Why or why not?
2. If so, does this unjustly violate the autonomy of consumers?
3. Support your arguing using any of the theories of ethics
(Virtue Ethics, Natural Law, Trust-based, Divine Command,
Utilitarianism) and then compare that view with another of the
theories.