Imagine being stranded offshore in a lifeboat with a maximum capacity of fifty people. Who would you let go, who would you save? Consider this; there are a total of one hundred and seventy-five people who all deserve to live as much as anyone else. This can be a difficult decision for any individual responsible for the situation. There are several ways in which an individual can proceed to arrive at a final decision which can be traced back to his or her personal motivations along with his or her background in making ethical decisions. A divine command theorist, a relativist, and an egoist could all find themselves in this situation and come to completely different decisions about how best to resolve this dilemma. A divine command theorist would rely on God's guidance in this time of crisis. A relativist would look at the situation and base it on their own individual or cultural morality. An egoist would evaluate the situation and develop a solution in the way that would best benefit him. It can be difficult for many to determine exactly which category of ethical theories they fall into because the lines from one to the other appear to have merged over time. There are many factors to consider when deciding which ethical approach best addresses the presented dilemma. It may involve a combination of the three to meet an individual's cultural and personal needs. Who would God command you to save? How would God want you to behave in this situation? Divine command theorists would rationalize that God would reward their act of personal sacrifice and promote the salvation of children, friends, and strangers over themselves. They would also know that if it were God's will for some individuals to die, then that would happen and they would be rewarded with h... middle of paper... Mother Teresa is the prime example of this; in fact, we know that he was a believer in God. Furthermore, according to the text found in an abandoned house in Calcutta, believed to have been written by Mother Teresa, “If you do good deeds, hidden selfish purposes will be attributed to you; IT DOESN'T MATTER, DO GOOD DEEDS.” This is exactly what an egoist would say to justify their decision. Keeping these two theories in mind, the last theory needs to be addressed to combine all three. Whether Mother Teresa acquired her morals from within or from the influence of her culture, she is undeniably a moral relativist. Using Mother Teresa as an example we can come to the conclusion that all three can be combined if not dependent on the existence of the others. In fact, if Mother Teresa were on the boat, she would save women and children out of her selfish need to please herself in the name of God..