Professional organizations know the success of their members
depends on their reputations
To increase public confidence they create create codes of ethics or
of professional conduct
Perhaps the first example of this was the Hippocratic Oath
taken by doctors in ancient Greece
It is the earliest statement of its kind in the Western world
It established many principles of medical ethics that are still followed today
It reads in part
I swear by Apollo Physician ... and by all the gods and goddesses
...
I will use treatment to help the sick according to my ability and judgment,
but never with a view to injury and wrong-doing.
These days most countries have medical societies whose members must follow
a code of conduct
These codes extend the oath substantially and are updated regularly
In this country the code does not have the force of law
But violations of the code can be used in court in malpractice suits