Professional ethics and a call for philosophical literacy

Knight, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8478-9656, 2020. Professional ethics and a call for philosophical literacy. Think, 19 (54), pp. 37-47. ISSN 1477-1756

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Abstract

It could be argued that there is now a crisis of confidence in the professions. Although many professionals individually undertake their roles with care and diligence, there have been so many systematic failures involving professionals across a range of sectors, both in the UK and globally, that the special status enjoyed by the professions is being widely questioned. In this article, I argue that recent cases are symptomatic of a lack of ethical reasoning in professional practice, yet professions enjoy an elevated status based on claims that ethics, typically communicated in codes of conduct, are central to their purpose. I argue that to help solve this crisis, philosophical literacy needs to be promoted in school, initial professional education and continuing professional development. Passing tests to superficially demonstrate an understanding of a code is quite different from reasoning through practical dilemmas in the professional workplace with judgements informed by philosophical ideas.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Think
Creators:	Knight, A.
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Date:	2020
Volume:	19
Number:	54
ISSN:	1477-1756
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1017/s1477175619000290 DOI 1321184 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	30 Apr 2020 10:29
Last Modified:	30 Apr 2020 10:29
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39765

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