The common morality, particular moralities and professional ethics
- Topic
Some moral norms are shared by almost everyone; each group, medicine included, adds rules of its own.
What it is
The common morality is the set of basic norms shared by anyone committed to morality, whatever their culture or religion: do not kill or harm without reason, tell the truth, keep promises, help people in danger, do not steal. Particular moralities are the extra commitments of a specific group: a religion, a culture, a family or a profession. Medical ethics is a particular morality: it takes the common norms and makes them stricter and more concrete for the relationship with the patient (confidentiality, consent, competence). Principlism claims that its four principles come from this common morality, which is why they are presented as valid for everyone rather than as the view of one school. This page goes deeper than the summaries in «The four principles» and «Oaths and codes».
Key facts
- W. D. Ross called his prima facie duties (fidelity, reparation, gratitude, beneficence, non-maleficence, among others) commitments of common-sense morality.
- A particular morality may ask more than the common morality (for example, professional confidentiality), but it may not allow what the common morality forbids.
- Professional codes (Law 23 of 1981, the WMA International Code of Medical Ethics) are the written form of medicine's particular morality.
- The common morality gives general norms; to use them in a case, they must be specified and balanced.
Structure
- Common morality: universal, shared, prior to any theory; the floor against which all others are judged.
- Religious or cultural particular moralities: bind those who accept them; the doctor respects them in the patient but does not impose them.
- Professional morality: binds those who join the profession; society expects it from all its members.
- The doctor's personal morality: their own convictions; protected by freedom of conscience, with limits when they affect the patient.
Levels of morality in medical practice
| Level | Who it binds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Common morality | Everyone | Do not deceive, do not cause harm without reason |
| Particular morality (religion, culture) | Those who accept it | Refusing certain treatments for religious reasons |
| Professional ethics | Those who practise the profession | Confidentiality, informed consent |
| Personal morality | The person themself | Convictions behind a conscientious objection |
In clinical practice
- A doctor who refuses to lie to an insurer follows both a norm of the common morality (do not deceive) and one of professional ethics (truthful certificates).
- A patient who refuses a transfusion for religious reasons acts on a particular morality; the team respects it if the patient has capacity, even without sharing it.
- When a doctor's personal morality clashes with a legal service, professional ethics requires not abandoning the patient: inform and refer.
- In teaching, seeing the code's rules as concrete forms of the common morality helps explain why they bind and are not mere paperwork.
Legal framework in Colombia
- Law 23 of 1981, art. 1, item 9: because of the profession's social role, the doctor keeps public and private conduct in line with the precepts of universal morality.
- Law 23 of 1981, art. 1, item 10: the ethical principles of doctors do not differ in substance from those of other members of society; they stand apart through their humanistic implications.
- Political Constitution, art. 18: freedom of conscience protects personal morality; no one is obliged to act against their conscience.
- Official texts checked on 2026-11-13 in the Función Pública Gestor Normativo.
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What is the common morality?
The set of basic norms shared by everyone committed to morality, such as not harming, not lying, keeping promises and rescuing people in danger.
Why is medical ethics a particular morality?
Because it binds a specific group, those who practise medicine, and makes the common norms concrete with demands of its own such as confidentiality and consent.
Can a professional morality allow something the common morality forbids?
No. It can ask more than the common morality, but not less: its norms rest on it.
What does Law 23 of 1981 say about the link between medical ethics and society's morality?
Its art. 1, item 10, says doctors' ethical principles do not differ in substance from those of other members of society; they stand apart through their humanistic implications.
Connections
Educational content on ethics and health law; not legal advice. Laws and case law change: each page links the official text and says when it was last checked. For a real case, read the text in force and ask a lawyer or the medical ethics tribunal.
Sources: Bioethics and Moral Reasoning (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2026); William David Ross (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2022); Ley 23 de 1981, por la cual se dictan normas en materia de ética médica (Función Pública, Gestor Normativo, 1981); WMA International Code of Medical Ethics (World Medical Association, 2022).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.