Reply: After reading your classmates’ threads, choose one to which you will respond, then write a reply that interacts with your classmate’s thread and presents a well-reasoned alternative to his or her approach to the issue. You do not have to defend a position that is diametrically opposed to your classmate’s position, but you do need to either defend a position that is significantly different from his/hers or defend the same position in a very different way. If possible, you must reply to a classmate to whom no one else has yet replied. 

The goal of this is to help your classmate to improve his or her theory, so make your criticisms constructive. Be charitable – don’t assume that your classmate is making stupid mistakes, but instead where multiple interpretations are possible, assume that you classmate meant whichever interpretation would make more sense. However, don’t hesitate to point out disputable assumptions, faulty arguments, and alternative possibilities if you are convinced that they exist. In short, criticize politely. If possible, you must reply to a classmate to whom no one else has yet replied. Treat your classmate’s opinion with sensitivity and respect.

This is a university-level writing assignment. Therefore it must be carefully proofread, free of grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. Do not use slang, emoticons, or abbreviations (as if you are texting or sending an email to a friend).

Your reply must be 500–600 words. You will be penalized for falling short or exceeding the word count. Any quotes or information used from sources other than yourself (including your classmate’s thread) must be cited using footnotes in current Turabian format and will not count towards the total word count.

Compare and Contrast Between Duty Ethics and Divine Command

Duty Ethics is the ethical theory that was began with the teaching of Immanuel Kant, who was a German philosopher that lived from 1724 to 1804. He believed that a sense of duty should be the main concept of a person’s beliefs. Basically, Kant believed that a person should be guided by principles that they would like everyone else to live by.1 In the theory of duty ethics, a person is to act in a certain way, because it is the correct way to act. Duty ethics define the good as treating others in a respectful humane manner, since that is how you would want to be treated. A weakness of the Duty Ethics theory is that not every person has the same understanding or belief of what is right or wrong.  

Divine Command is that ethical theory that believes what is good is good because it was commanded by God.2 As it explains in a conversation someone had with Jesus, in Matthew 19:17. “Why do you ask me about what is good? He said to him. “There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”3 This theory teaches that people cannot live a moral life, unless they follow the moral teachings of God.4 A weakness that I think the Divine Command theory has is that if a person is not a believer, why would they follow the instructions of the deity giving the commands? When God created humankind, He gave us the freedom of choice. With this choice He also instilled in us the basic understanding of what is morally right or wrong.  

Both theories teach us to do what is right, to treat other people, how we would want to be treated, with kindness and respect. Duty Ethics Theory teaches us to do the right thing no matter what the outcome is. Divine Command Theory teaches to what is right because it is what God commanded. Another difference is where Duty Ethics can change with the morals of society, Divine Command does not change because God’s commands do not change.  

The Divine Command Theory is a stronger ethical theory than Duty Ethics Theory. It is the stronger theory, because it teaches people to follow the commandments of God and the teachings of the Bible. When a person follows the teaches of God and the bible, they will have a stronger understanding of what is morally right and wrong. With this understand they will make better ethical choices and decisions. Through these teachings we know that it is not right to cheat, steal, or commit murder, et cetera. The commandments and the instructions of God and the Bible are not open to change and cannot be change in order to fit the circumstances. When a person follows these commandments, they can live a life that is both morally ethical and pleasing to God.