What determines whether an action undertaken by an agent is good or bad? Lon L. Fuller's 1949 article, The Case of the Speluncean Explorers, presents a situation in which ethical definitions of right action are evaluated. The ethical study of right action consists of two major moral theories: deontological (looking to the past/origins) and teleological (looking to the future/ends). Both also have religious and non-religious components. Deontological theory consists of divine command theory (religious) and Kantianism (non-religious), while teleological theory is composed of natural law theory (religious) and utilitarianism (non-religious). In this article, the four strands of moral theory will be used to evaluate Fuller's article and determine which moral theory best serves the argument that the actions of the four defendants were ethically permissible given the situation. At the end of this article, sufficient evidence will be given to prove that the application of Kantian ethical theory regarding right action – the categorical imperative – with Christine Korsgaard's dual-level theories is relevant to bring about a moral conclusion in the case in question. The story begins when the five individuals, all members of the Speluncean Society, are trapped in a limestone cavern following a collapse. Rescue operations began when the individuals failed to return from exploration. On the twentieth day of this debacle, radio communications were established and the five explorers discovered that they could not survive if an individual was not consumed as food. A pair of dice was used to determine who would be consumed. Roger Whitmore, who proposed this cannibalistic idea in the first place, decided not to...... middle of paper ......f unwanted, was vital in saving the majority of the group and provided goods distributed wherever possible. universal maxim is concerned. In conclusion and after having tested the four currents of moral theories regarding right action, it is in the Kantian ethical theory concerning right action in conjunction with the double-level theories of Christine Korsgaard that she provides answers to the normative questions regarding Fuller's article and also does so without committing itself to any error or misaligned reasoning. Kant's categorical imperatives provide all intentional agents with moral laws to govern their actions regardless of circumstances. However, in extreme circumstances such as those faced by the Speluncéan explorers, the four accused cannot be considered culpable for their actions because they acted according to the only available solution, while respecting their moral obligations...