Transcript Week 8 Lecture: Professional Codes [PPT]

Professional Codes
• Rules of conduct for members
of particular professions.
• What is a profession?
– A group of autonomous, skilled
and knowledgeable practitioners
organized
• to provide a socially valuable
service.
– And committed to shared values
by which they regulate the
members.
Why these rules are
needed
• Temptations that come with the
territory
– e.g. dealing with large sums of
money.
• Integrity of profession
– If certain conduct is allowed, the
profession as a whole is harmed.
• Centrality to mission
– The professional practice is
undermined unless certain
standards are maintained.
Justifying professional
code
• Like all moral rules, must be
justified.
– by appeal to profession as best
practice
• E.g. confidentiality in health care
settings creates the trust needed to
get people to seek and be compliant
with medical care.
– on other moral grounds (e.g.
Kant, Utilitarianism)
Decision Procedure
• Describe the morally relevant
facts of the situation.
• List the professional code(s)
involved.
– Find the code
– Identify procedures to follow.
• Evaluate the code(s).
• Describe the action required by
the appropriate code.