John K Alexander
Extract
Someone might want to argue that this strict adherence to promise keeping justifies a person being forced, coerced, compelled, into performing actions that are unjust or morally impermissible if they are members of an organization/profession that begins to engage in performing unjust, or morally unjustifiable actions. . . .By utilizing our moral beliefs at the appropriate time when first we make our promise to provide competent professional service to our clients, we can avoid placing ourselves in situations that compromise our deeply held moral beliefs later on. If later on we are confronted by a change in the professional setting that did not exist in the original decision making situation, then we are rationally compelled to reassess our professional position relative to the requirements of our moral beliefs and perform the appropriate action, either comply, persuade others that they are wrong or leave the professional setting.
Alexander JK. Promising, professional obligations, and the refusal to provide service. HEC Forum. 2005;17(3):178-195.