Chapter 3 - The virtues and vices of professionalism

Summary

This chapter points out the altruistic service ethic in which the expertise of the professional was secured for society through contract with society. Changing social and economic circumstances and expectations mean that altruistic behaviour itself may need to be redefined. Professionalism and its values can be criticized as being self-serving, especially if self-regulation is included in the equation. The chapter discusses issues with regard to medicine, and law takes extreme degree of the role of expertise and peers, rather than simply employing external standards. It asserts that the law has built on an image of medical professionalism a particular model of healthcare law that assumes and promotes the moral basis of medical practice. The chapter explores what can be learnt about the nature of professionalism through the lens of the law. It shows how the law has been used to reinforce professional power.