While I agree with you, I believe the Hippocratic oath is a way to individualise responsibility that becomes ineffective when the individuals taking it are part

While I agree with you, I believe the Hippocratic oath is a way to individualise responsibility that becomes ineffective when the individuals taking it are participating in complex structures. Doctors take the Hippocratic Oath and yet we see again and again how the medical system is failing us in its intended purpose (it was even just up on HN[0]) -- the profit motive inevitably takes precedence over the principles of the Oath and you have e.g. hospitals handing out C-sections to anyone they can to increase the throughput and price tag of treatment, while ignoring the negative impact of this policy on patient health. I think it would be great if people working in software developed a set of principles to adhere to while practicing the trade, but I believe it should be done in a way that is decoupled from the market forces of the capitalist economy. Something like a union would be a good approach. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20626500 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20626500