Historically, the professions and society have engaged in a negotiating process intended to define the terms of their relationship. At the heart of this process is the tension between the professions’ pursuit of autonomy and the public’s demand for accountability. Society’s granting of power and privilege to the professions is premised on their willingness and ability to contribute to social well-being and to conduct their affairs in a manner consistent with broader social values. It has long been recognized that the expertise and privileged position of professionals confer authority and power that could readily be used to advance their own interests at the expense of those they serve. As Edmund Burke observed two centuries ago, “Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites.” Autonomy has never been a one-way street and is never granted absolutely and irreversibly.
* autonomy: 자율성 ** privilege: 특권 *** premise: 전제로 말하다