"McDowell looks at excuses that professionals give when accused of acting unethically, and asks, when are they valid and when are they not? Most problems of professional ethics are really problems of compliance, he argues, not ignorance of expectations. Professionals typically know what's expected of them, but social and economic pressures make compliance with professional norms difficult.".

"McDowell maintains that our ethical expectations may need overhauling, given substantial changes that have occurred in how professionals do their work today. They can be easily persuaded that what they are doing is not unethical; it depends on the excuses they give themselves as well as others."--BOOK JACKET.