Professional Ethics

General Moral Principles General moral principle make some general statement about what is morally right or wrong or good or bad or what we should or ought or should not or ought not to. Examples: You should not take what does not belong to you without permission of the owner. If you make a promise, you ought to keep it. Particular Moral Judgments Not all moral judgments are general principles. Some are about specifics. Examples: John was wrong to tell you that. Hitler was an evil person. Other (non-moral) Normative Judgment and Principles Some judgments are normative, and say what ought or ought not to be done, but are not moral. Examples of these include prudential, legal and aesthetic judgments. They may be general or specific. Examples: You should quit smoking. That’s the wrong hat for that outfit. The Role of General Moral Principles in Moral Argument General moral principles can serve as the major