ABSTRACT
Every major profession has recognized the importance of publicly proclaiming its duty to use the skill and knowledge it possesses in a manner protective of the public's health and safety. Each profession claims that the foremost duty of professionals is to make sure that their activities do not cause unnecessary harm and injury. Philosophers have addressed this problem indirectly in discussions of the nature of collective entities, collective responsibility, and the roles of individuals in institutional settings. There have been a number of instances where the collective efforts of engineers working for large private organizations in design, development, and production of sophisticated technologies like power plants, rapid transit systems and passenger aircraft. have had harmful effects on the health or well-being of the public. In order to come to grips with this argument we need to look more carefully at the circumstances of individuals who act in professional roles.
