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While the concept dates back to antiquity, the phrase code of ethics emerged in written record around 1794, when English physician Thomas Percival published an influential pamphlet: Medical Jurisprudence, or a Code of Ethics and Institutes Adopted to the Professions of Physic and Surgery. Detailing duties and behaviors expected of medical personnel working at hospitals and charities, Percival鈥檚 code became the basis for the American Medical Association鈥檚 (AMA) own code of ethics, first drafted in 1847.

Many other professional organizations have adopted codes of ethics to state their values and set out standards of conduct deemed responsible and honorable for their line of work. The American Library Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the National Association of Realtors, and the National Society of Professional Engineers are just a few of the organization that have specific codes of ethics for their members and, ideally, for their professions as a whole. The Society of Professional Journalists鈥� (SPJ) code of ethics, for example, features four principles: 1) seek truth and report it, 2) minimize harm, 3) act independently, and 4) be accountable and transparent. The code then describes best practices for each point. To uphold the first principle, for instance, SPJ members should 鈥淚dentify sources clearly.鈥� The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources.鈥�

Private companies also typically develop their own internal codes of ethics. Walmart, Starbucks, McDonald鈥檚, Apple, and Twitter all have codes of ethics鈥攕ometimes called codes of conduct, among many other variations鈥攖hat their employees are expected to follow, usually as a provision of employment. Like professional associations, companies like these will often detail their mission statement and core values in their codes of ethics.

While often adhering to a country鈥檚 legal codes or broader moral codes, codes of ethics themselves don鈥檛 have the force of law. The SPJ鈥檚 code of ethics features this disclaimer: 鈥淭he SPJ Code of Ethics is voluntarily embraced by thousands of journalists, regardless of place or platform, and is widely used in newsrooms and classrooms as a guide for ethical behavior. The code is intended not as a set of 鈥榬ules鈥� but as a resource for ethical decision-making. It is not鈥攏or can it be under the First Amendment鈥攍egally enforceable.鈥�

A violation of a code of ethics, however, could result in serious consequences. Improper conduct relative to an organizational code may also be a violation of official law. In the preamble to its code of ethics, for example, the AMA鈥檚 first principle says: 鈥淎 physician shall be dedicated to providing competent medical care, with compassion and respect for human dignity and rights.鈥� A doctor, then, might face significant fines and loss of license if they were found guilty of medical malpractice, a breach of both the AMA鈥檚 code of ethics and US laws.