Question

A practical guide to ethics unit 1

1. Professional’s Obligations to Clients

In the fiduciary professional-client relationship there are specific obligations the professional must provide in order to generate faith and confidence from clients.

a. List each of the 7 + 1 more of the professional’s obligations to clients we have studied in this unit.

b. Provide a definition of each of the 7 + 1 obligations you listed.

c. Explain in detail which 3 of these you find most difficult for the professional to provide, and why. Use examples to support your choices.

2. Aristotle and Virtuous Living

a. Aristotle says that “a virtue is a mean between two extremes.” In your own words, what is the meaning of this statement?

b. Give 3 examples of Aristotelian virtues. Be sure to mention how each one is a “mean between what 2 extremes.”

Answer 1

Professional’s obligations to clients:

1.

a) Integrity, Objectivity, Competence, Fairness, Confidentiality, Professionalism, Diligence, Accountability

b)

• Integrity: It asks for honesty and candor which cannot be compromised for personal gains.
• Objectivity: It includes intellectual honesty and impartiality. Subordination of judgements should be avoided by maintaining objectivity and integrity at work.
• Competence: To maintain professional knowledge and skills and apply them, when necessary, to provide hassle-free solutions within time.
• Fairness: To have a humble and genuine relationship with your client. Difference of opinion is welcomed but things should be balanced in case of conflicting interests.
• Confidentiality: To protect the privacy of all client information is a must.
• Professionalism: To behave with dignity and courtesy to clients.
• Diligence: Diligence is the provision of services in a reasonably prompt and thorough manner, including the proper planning for, and supervision of, the rendering of professional services.
• Accountability: To be accountable for services rendered and provide solutions if asked by the client.

c) Accountability, Objectivity and Diligence are by far the most difficult aspects of client service. This is because these factors hugely depend upon the client’s attitude and behaviour towards the professional. Not repetitive though, but issues like delay in providing right information or misinterpretation of commands passed on usually spoils the relation between a client and a professional.

2.

a) As per Aristotle, moral virtue is nothing but a disposition to behave in the right manner and as a mean between extremes of deficiency and excess, which are vices. It’s a matter of having the appropriate attitude towards pain and pleasure comprehensively. The best measure of moral judgment is however choice, since choices are always made voluntarily by means of rational deliberation. We always choose to aim at the good, but people are often ignorant of what is good and so aim at some apparent good instead, which is in fact a vice.

b)

Action/Feeling	Excess (Vice)	Mean (Virtue)	Excess (Vice)
Shame	Shyness	Modesty	Shamelessness
Self-expression	Boastfulness	Truthfulness	Understatement
Conversation	Buffoonery	Wittiness	Boorishness