ABSTRACT
This chapter explains the purpose of, and need for, this book. “Ethics” is defined and the caring professions are identified. Professionals in these fields need to be equipped to deal with the difficult moral problems which they will face. This book seeks to help them to acquire the generally applicable knowledge and skills they require in order to have a basis from which to tackle the particular problems in their own profession. But three challenges to this study are considered. First, the law supplies the help we need, so ethics is unnecessary. Secondly, professional ethical codes supply the help we need, so further ethical study is unnecessary. Thirdly, morality is relative, so ethical study has little point. The first and second of those challenges are answered in detail. The third is postponed until Chapter Three. In the meantime, we will proceed on the basis of common sense.
