The Hippocratic Oath is not for assigning blame or providing accountability towards society's rules - at least not in the first place. It is a reminder of basic

The Hippocratic Oath is not for assigning blame or providing accountability towards society's rules - at least not in the first place. It is a reminder of basic ethical and professional standards and contributes to the common understanding of a physician's role. This may seem ridiculous considering the responsibilities of medical professionals but it works as a baseline independent of the legal and moral standards of the particular society they live in. So to answer your question: Yes, the software engineer could be held accountable - yet, that would arguably be up to him- or herself in many cases [1]. There were physicians in history who have done horrible things [2] and - if not by the legal system - they were at least judged by their peers for their actions. From my perspective, the most valuable aspect of having an oath (and that I regard for professions in general) seems to be the opportunity it offers for reflection, identity and future aspirations. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath#Violation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath#Violation [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josef_Mengele