Ethics is about studying the right and the good; morality is about acting as one should. Although there are differences among what is legal, charitable, professional, ethical, and moral, these desirable characteristics tend to cluster and are treasured in dentistry. The traditional approach to professionalism in dentistry is based on a theory of biomedical ethics advanced 30 years ago. Known as the principles approach, general ideals such as respect for autonomy, nonmaleficence, beneficence, justice, and veracity, are offered as guides. Growth in professionalism consists in learning to interpret the application of these principles as one's peers do. Moral behavior is conceived as a continuous cycle of sensitivity to situations requiring moral response, moral reasoning, the moral courage to take action when necessary, and integration of habits of moral behavior into one's character. This essay is the first of two papers that provide the backbone for the IDEA Project of the College--an online, multiformat, interactive "textbook" of ethics for the profession.
伦理学关乎对正确与善的研究；道德关乎按应然之事行事。尽管合法、慈善、专业、伦理和道德之间存在差异，但这些理想特质往往相互关联且在牙科领域备受珍视。牙科领域传统的专业精神理念基于30年前提出的生物医学伦理学理论。这种被称为原则法的理论，提供了诸如尊重自主性、不伤害、行善、公正和诚实等一般理想作为指导。专业精神的成长在于学会像同行那样诠释这些原则的应用。道德行为被视为一个持续的循环：对需要道德回应的情况保持敏感、进行道德推理、在必要时具备采取行动的道德勇气，以及将道德行为习惯融入个人品格。本文是为学院的 IDEA 项目奠定基础的两篇论文中的第一篇——该项目是一个在线的、多种形式的、互动式的专业伦理“教科书”。
