1. Allhoff, F. Physician involvement in hostile interrogations. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 2006;15:392–402.Google Scholar

2. See note 1, Allhoff 2006, at 392.

3. A physician must profess these standards “truthfully,” not merely “sincerely.” What is important is the objective fact of actually maintaining the standards, not a subjective state of trying to maintain the standards.

4. American Medical Association. Principles of Medical Ethics II; available at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics/principles-medical-ethics.page (last accessed 1 May 2014).

5. Promising is, of course, one way to make a convention. Other ways to do that include an exchange of oaths and following someone’s lead when others seem willing to do the same.

6. American Medical Association, Code of Medical Ethic; available at http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/physician-resources/medical-ethics/code-medical-ethics.page? (last accessed 1 May 2014), hereafter identified in text by opinion number instead of page number (as is customary and convenient across formats).

7. For a more extensive exposition of this conception of profession in the context of medicine, see Davis, M. What can we learn by looking for the first code of professional ethics? Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics 2003;24:433–54Google Scholar; and Davis, M. Medicine as profession: An overlooked approach to medical ethics. Philosophy Studies 2013 Jan;3:36–51.Google Scholar

8. See note 1, Allhoff 2006, at 395–400.

9. See note 4, American Medical Association.

10. See note 4, American Medical Association.

11. See note 1, Allhoff 2006, at 394.

12. When coordination will not produce such results (or when it is unlikely to), the standard in question is unjustified (or, at least, not justified in this way).

13. I owe this objection to Robert Ladenson.

14. See, especially, Dworkin R. Taking Rights Seriously. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 1977, esp. 22–8.