Professional Ethics

Professional ethics is a branch of applied philosophy and can be understood as the application of ethical concepts and principles to professional practice. Questions relating to the justification of these theories and concepts are also part of professional ethics. A key element in ethics is the identification and justification of rules or standards that can be used to distinguish right and wrong behavior and identify what ought to be done. These rules and standards can be used by people to identify what they ought to do in various circumstances and to evaluate particular behavior. Likewise, professional ethics is concerned with rules and standards that distinguish right from wrong. These rules and standards constitute the principles of professional conduct and are the foundation for professional ethics. They are used by practitioners to identify what they ought to do in particular situations, and they can be used to evaluate professional behavior.