Abstract: The classification and comparative research of ethical theories is usually undertaken in a fairly discontinuous way or limited to dualism comparisons. The fundamental problem of extant comparative studies in normative ethics lies in the fact that there is not a comprehensive and systematic taxonomy. The three plausible and dominant comparative approaches in normative ethics are consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics. When comparative studies are conducted pair wisely between these three categories, there is not a single taxonomy which includes all prominent approaches of normative ethics. This thesis holds that it is possible to do the systematic taxonomy or meta-philosophical analysis on different ethics theories and further explores how these ethics theories relate with each other. The spectrum of ethical theories allows for more pigeonholes or more places, through which normative ethical theories can be compared with each other in a scheme beyond dichotomy.

Key words: ethical theories, spectrum, meta-philosophy, taxonomy