Final answer:
Professional responsibility involves being accountable for the professional, ethical, and legal obligations associated with one's professional actions and duties. Professionals must navigate complex situations to determine their most pressing duties, guided by codes of ethics and their judgment in fulfilling these responsibilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Professional Responsibility
The concept defined by the student encompasses the obligation to be accountable for the professional, ethical, and legal responsibilities associated with one's actions and duties in a professional context. This is a cornerstone of professional conduct across various fields such as medicine, engineering, and law.
Ross's Prima Facie Duties
Philosopher W.D. Ross identified key moral commitments known as prima facie duties. These include duties of fidelity, reparation, gratitude, promoting good, and non-maleficence. Practitioners in professional settings often navigate complex situations where these duties may conflict, and they must exercise judgment to determine their actual duty.
Community and Civic Responsibilities
Individuals also have responsibilities towards their community, which range from personal to civic duties. Civic duties include obeying laws and paying taxes, while personal responsibilities are more self-assumed and focus on personal and family needs. These duties demonstrate an individual's commitment to society and are critical for order and governance.
Codes of Ethics in Professional Organizations
Professional organizations, such as IEEE-CS for engineers, provide codes of ethics which detail the ethical obligations of members. These codes often delineate specific behaviors and outline the consequences of certain actions, tying ethical considerations to broader moral theories and societal norms.
The Role of Judgment
Discerning between conflicting duties requires professional judgment. An example provided underscores a situation where the duty to help someone in an emergency outweighs the duty to keep a personal engagement. Such decisions are part of professional obligations, where the most pressing duty takes precedence and becomes the actual duty.