Towards professional wisdom: practical deliberation in the people professions

People professions - such as social work, teaching, nursing, ministry and counselling - are at heart ethical or moral enterprises.

Much recent theorizing has been concerned to show that effective professional deliberation and judgement cannot be reduced either to technical rationality or to simple obedience to general occupational procedures or prescriptions.

Professional judgement would seem to require the development of a distinctive mode of practical (ethical) reflection or 'wisdom' - perhaps along the lines of Aristotle's 'phronesis' or practical wisdom.

Reflection is required to address such key professional concerns as: