ABSTRACT
Most contemporary philosophers agree that there are two broad categories of normative ethical theories, albeit with many examples and variations within each: deontological theories and teleological theories. Deontology derives from the Greek word deon, meaning duty, and refers to points of view in which actions are viewed as inherently ethical or not. Teleology derives from the Greek telos, or goal, and is used to label theories in which what is ethical or moral is determined by the effects or consequences of the actions. Rawls (1971) explained the conceptual distinction between the two as determined by the way in which a theory defines and relates the two notions of (a) right and wrong and (b) good and evil (or bad).
