Concept of a Profession

Prof. Kumar Neeraj Sachdev

Dept. of Humanities and Social Sciences
 Introductory Issues
• Ethics, Applied Ethics and Professional Ethics
• Concept of a Profession
• Ethics and Professions

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 Definition of Professional Ethics

Professional ethics is a study of the moral

conduct of professionals in a workplace, for
example, protest against corruption or
mismanagement [that is discussed in a listed
topic of whistle blowing].

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 Distinctiveness of Profession
• Every profession is an occupation but every
occupation is not a profession. For example,
bricklayers, barbers, shopkeepers are not
professionals.
• Doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers, accountants,
nurses and architects are professionals because they
provide expert advice or service rather things that is
vital to the organized functioning of a society.
• Some features may be taken as central or necessary
for an occupation to be a profession.

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 Features of Profession
• Extensive training
• Intellectual component
• Important service in society
• Credentialing – certification or/and licensing
• Organization of members
• Autonomy in professional’s work

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 Normative Features
The following features may be considered as normative
features:
• To characterize professionals as primarily devoted to
providing service to needy and keeping in mind the public
interest and only secondarily to making money.
– Services should be provided to all who need them.
– Services should be provided in the best way to promote the public
interest.
– Profession itself should be the sole judge to achieve the first and the
second as mentioned above.

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 Additional Features
Three additional features, namely
• Helping people to realize human values (next
slide)
• Legal Monopoly (privileged activity created by
the state) and
• Self-regulation (control over membership and
disciplining of members)
further help in understanding the practice of
professions.
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 Human Values
The services of professionals are important for people to
realize some important human values in their lives such
as:
• Information
• Knowledge
• Health
• Wealth
• Legal justice
• Comfort
• Safety
• Efficiency

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 Concept of a Profession
A profession is a regulated practical
application of specialized knowledge and skill
in a formal setup for the benefit of mankind
and on a broad scale the planet earth.

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 “No generally accepted definition of the term
profession exists, yet a working concept is
needed for our study of professional ethics.”
Michael D. Bayles
In the paper: What is a Profession?, p. 56
In the edited book: Rowan, John, and Zinaich, Jr.,
Ethics for the Professions, Wadsworth, 2003

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 Thank you.

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