Comparing Moral Theories A discussion of moral theories must begin with a discussion of the two extremes of ethical thinking, absolutism and relativism. Moral absolutism is the belief that there are absolute standards by which moral issues are judged and can be deemed right or wrong, regardless of context. The firm laws of the universe, God, nature itself are the forces that deem an action right or wrong. A person's actions rather than morals and motivations are important in a proposal of absolutism. Moral relativism states that moral propositions are based Ethical relativism is the theory that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical relativist, there are no universal moral standards that apply to all people at all times. Ethical relativism is the theory that morality is relative to the norms of one's culture. That is, whether an action is right or wrong depends on the moral norms of the society in which it is practiced. The same action may be morally right in one society but be morally wrong in another. For the ethical relativist there are no universal moral standards, standards that can be applied to all people at all times. Culture and personal morality cause a person to make certain moral decisions. Personally, my beliefs align with ethical relativism, as I do not believe that all morality adheres to universal laws or fear of a spiritual deity. I feel that the way we treat each other as human beings, the lessons taught by my culture and my inner feeling... middle of paper... the current US government tends towards Universal Selfishness as members of both the Republican and Democratic parties are concerned with their own personal goals and the common goals of the party without listening or paying attention to the will of the people, they are there to serve. We are no longer a country "of the people, by the people and for the people". I present this example as an example against ethical selfishness in general. We, as a society, cannot function without considering others. Works Cited Thiroux, J.P., & Krasemann, K.W. (2009). Ethics: Theory and Practice (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.Shaver, R. “Egoism,” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = . http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/egoism/#2