Ethics is derived from the Greek word meaning duty. An action is considered morally right when it is part of a person's duties or requirements. As long as a person fulfills their duties, they are considered morally fulfilling. Generally, this list of duties or rules is created by God in an ethical system. By acting morally, a person obeys God's list of duties. Christopher Bennet writes that “in deontology, like Kantian ethics, there are certain types of acts, such as rape, murder, theft, and assault, which are always wrong” (Bennet, 2010, p. 33 ). For example, if it is morally wrong to kill, then killing is always wrong, even if it means allowing a person to suffer. Kant believes that a person will learn what is right and wrong through rational thought. Ethics is the most common and widely practiced moral theory in the world, especially in health care. The negative side of a deontological system is that it does not allow two contradictory moral duties to be resolved. Looking at the example above, it is morally wrong to kill, but it is also a moral duty not to allow someone to suffer. The theory of deontology focuses on the appropriateness of the act in relation to its results (Powers, 2005, pp. 496-499). For this reason, the correct action may or may not be pleasant for the agent. Additionally, others may or may not approve of it and it may create pleasure, wealth, or pain. The consequentialist believes that the ends justify the means, but ethics says that doing something good is not always good if it goes against what is considered moral. Let's relate this to a hospital situation: three seriously ill patients are in intensive care and they all need organs to survive. A healthy young man c...... middle of paper ......rt instead of your head. I believe that most people want to live morally, but circumstances don't always allow it. Telling a “little lie” to your children does not put them or yourself in danger. A mother who steals food to feed her starving babies probably doesn't mean to be immoral, but feels she has no choice not to do it. Nothing is ever black or white. People are not born to be moral, it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children morality from a young age. If a person does not learn morality, is it their fault or that of their parents? Would Kant say that it is the moral obligation or duty of the parent to teach their child morality? Works CitedBennet, C. (2010). What is this thing called ethics? New York, NY: Routledge. Powers, T. M. (2005). Ethics. In EC Mitcham, Encyclopedia of science, technology and ethics (pp. 496-499). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA.