Principles as “Rules Of Thumb”: A Particularist Approach to Codes of Ethics and an Analysis of the Dutch Banking Code

Abstract

The rise of ethical codes suggests that such codes may enhance ethical behavior. However, research on ethical codes is far from univocally positive about this. Recently, in practical philosophy, particularists have argued against the idea that principles are important for ethics because principles express reasons for or against an action, whereas what is a reason for a certain action in one situation can be a reason against, or no reason at all, in another one. Nevertheless, according to particularists, the case for principles—and thus ethical codes—is not hopeless. Even if principles cannot capture the full complexity of reasons for action, they can help as “rules of thumb” to remember possibly important reasons. This paper develops a particularist approach to codes of ethics, and presents some conclusions about the conditions under which codes of ethics may enhance ethical behavior. An analysis of the Dutch banking code shows the usefulness of a particularist approach.

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