Professional Ethics

Abstract

Professionals are required to practice value-based ethical behavior in their professional and personal lives to achieve perpetual prosperity and happiness for maximum possible number of people. However, appropriate professional behavior is possible only when professionals have a clear understanding of self and appreciation of importance of working with harmony at various level of existence. Professionals are also supposed to take care of social issues and environmental protection while working for economic development and well-being of their clients.

This module therefore, attempts to develop understanding that for achieving sustainable prosperity and happiness in life, it is important to accept the concept of coexistence and need of harmony at different levels of existence such as self, family, society and nature. This understanding is more required for professionals as compared to other occupations and therefore this module strives to explain that what makes ‘Profession’ different from other occupations. In this context it is important that appreciation for values, professional ethics and sustainability should become necessary component of any professional education. For this to happen, it is essential that teachers in professional education system themselves first understand the importance of universally accepted values and the need of self-exploration as the process for value education and for appreciation of ethics.

It is also important for teachers to show value-based and ethical professional behavior so that they may become role models for the students and hence expected behavior from a teacher as a ‘Professional’ is also discussed in this module. Since the professionals are at the top of their professions, they are expected to self-regulate themselves, for which the role of professional societies is also highlighted in this module.