Observing the lighthouse

This paper discusses the nature of codes of ethics in social work. The desirability of defining rights and obligations in social services is widely accepted, but formal ethical codes often seem both excessively ambitious and insufficiently precise. Their usefulness is thus cast into doubt. The paper considers the influence of major traditions of moral theory and examines the nature of professional codes. It is argued that the precepts embodied in codes of ethics are of limited value unless supported by practical social institutions which attend to the proper implementation of ethical principles. The profession's code of ethics is likened to the function of the lighthouse: to serve as a point of reference and warning of danger, but not to work out one's course or one's destination.