Which statement about ethics is false?

Which statement about ethics is false?

• A. Ethics require following the standards of the profession.
• B. Ethics help distinguish right from wrong.
• C. Ethics are sometimes ignored for personal gain.
• D. Ethics are defined as a moral principle or value.

Answer: (C)

Ethics establish the standards professionals follow and give a framework to judge right from wrong. They are defined as moral principles or values that guide behavior and professional conduct. Because ethics define how one should act, statements that ethics help distinguish right from wrong and that ethics are defined as moral principles are true. The claim that ethics are sometimes ignored for personal gain describes what people may do, not what ethics are. When someone acts for personal gain in defiance of ethics, that’s a violation of ethical standards, not a characteristic of ethics themselves. In professional practice, ethics are meant to prevent such violations by guiding decisions and maintaining trust, accountability, and integrity.

Ethics establish the standards professionals follow and give a framework to judge right from wrong. They are defined as moral principles or values that guide behavior and professional conduct. Because ethics define how one should act, statements that ethics help distinguish right from wrong and that ethics are defined as moral principles are true. The claim that ethics are sometimes ignored for personal gain describes what people may do, not what ethics are. When someone acts for personal gain in defiance of ethics, that’s a violation of ethical standards, not a characteristic of ethics themselves. In professional practice, ethics are meant to prevent such violations by guiding decisions and maintaining trust, accountability, and integrity.