Spoken or not, written or unwritten, it is agreed upon by senior members of that profession. Sometimes a code of ethics, often formal and written, is associated with a profession's guarantee of trustworthiness. A code typically serves one or more of three purposes for the professional ethic. First, it reminds professionals of their responsibilities and encourages them to seek the highest moral standards. Second, a code offers guidance about some of the common or difficult moral dilemmas faced by members of a profession.
Professionals are thus able to benefit from the experience and insights of their colleagues.
Third, a code, especially when written, can provide a quasi-legal minimum standard to be used to evaluate cases of misconduct. Briefly, here are some notes of caution and guidance concerning professional ethics. That is, it is important to know whether a requirement in a professional ethic is positing an ideal, a minimum standard, or a recommended solution to a typical moral problem facing the professional. Do not make the mistake of treating a code requirement that posits an ideal as though it were positing the minimum standard. They merely represent the considered judgment of persons who, presumably, have a certain amount of wisdom and experience and are therefore in a position to recommend certain rules for our consideration.