Week 1 Flashcards
Give the different points of departure for consequentialsim, Kantian ethics, Virtue ethics, and Africa ethics
Consequentialism: consequences
Kantian: principles
Virtue: character and excellences
Africa: community
What is the etymological meaning of the word “profession”?
To declare.
To commit to a certain way of life and being a certain type of person
Define a professional
Someone who professes to be a certain person, with a special role in society. This role has stringent moral requirements
How was a professor defined in the 17th century?
Someone with a certain set of specialised skills, for example a carpenter, sculptor, etc
Apply the 17th century definition of a professor to the modern professional
The modern professional:
- Claims to have thorough qualification and training
- Exercises a certain vocation based on certain learning
- that is used to render services or practice an art
Is the 17th century secularised meaning of a professional sufficient to describe the modern professional?
No, we need to distinguish the term professional from a mere occupation
From a sociological perspective, what is the characteristics of a profession?
- Extended period of training, skills and theory, syllabus approved by official board with authority
- Knowledge and skills essential for well-being of society
- Control of certain professional services, only qualified, registered individuals may practice, in a strictly defined scope
- High level of autonomy
- Self regulation by ethical standards
Who first defined the profession as a social practice?
Alisdair McIntyre
Define a social practice
Coherent, complex form of socially established human cooperation
What are the characteristics of a social practice?
- Aim/goal/goods “internal” to practice
- May also produce other goods
What is the function of an internal aim/goal in a social practice?
- Establishes the practice
- Must be morally justifiable
- Provides moral criteria for assessment of those that participate in the practice
Who developed the Socratic concept of a profession?
Michael Davis
As a Socratic concept, what is a profession?
- A number of people in the same occupation voluntarily organise themselves in levels
- Openly in the public
- To earn a living by openly serving a moral ideal
- Beyond what the law, market, morality and public opinion would otherwise require
In which model of a profession can it be misused, and in which model not?
- Misuse in business (money dominated) model
- Not misused in public model
What are the characteristics of the business model of a profession?
- Primary motivation: economic self-interest
- Knowledge becomes a commodity
- Specialised knowledge becomes a basis for monopoly of the field
- Self regulation - dodge authorities
- Claim to have high ethical standards to gain social status
What is the public service model of a profession based on?
An agreement between the profession and society
What does the agreement in the public service model of a profession include?
- Social contract
- Society will grant certain privileges and freedoms upon fulfilment of certain duties
In the public service model of a profession, what are the duties that the profession is expected to fulfil? Also, what are the privileges granted by society upon fulfilment of these duties, respectively?
- Attain specialised knowledge (grants autonomy)
- Serve public good (grants internal control of service delivery)
- Have high ethical standards (grants self regulation)
What is a fiduciary relationship?
A relationship based on trust
On which two asymmetries does a profession rest?
- Knowledge (specialised)
- Power
What does it mean, despite asymmetries to society, for a profession to be in a fiduciary relationship with the public?
- Has to act in the best interest of the client without losing sight of the public good
- The professional stands in a double trust relationship: with the client and public
A profession, as a social practice, must have a goal that is desirable not just permissible. This goal provides a criteria for assessing those who participate. What is the goal of engineering?
To promote the health, safety, and welfare of society.
How do professional ethics differ from personal/general ethics?
- Standards of a professional community
- Explicit code of conducts in a society, association or institution
In general, what is common morality?
- Common beliefs shared by almost everyone
- Point of reference for both personal and professional ethics
- Difficult for everyone to deny
