Abstract

This dissertation sets forth a theory of professionalism based in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson. It begins by explicating Emerson's theory of calling. It then considers the professional's commitment to a professional ethic shared by a professional community. This idea of professional ethics is contrasted with other theories of "role morality." Discussion follows of the education of the professional, of authority within the professions, and of the function of professional groups as communities of judgment and deliberation. Finally, the Emersonian conception of professionalism is contrasted with the Machiavellian "dirty hands" model of prudence.