From Creed to Code

So, in 1965 the American Chemical Society created and adopted a "creed" for its members they dubbed "The Chemist's Creed". In 1994 this was updated and it became a "Code of Conduct" and then in 2007 it became a code of conduct for specifically "chemical professionals" (the chemist would like to make this a joke of course by saying, after stifling a guffaw, that all of us are "chemical" professionals--ie, folks made of chemicals--this akin to their jokes about "organic" products and "carbon-free" production values).

In this space let us simply examine those words and those changes as if they were all we had access to in terms of knowledge about the creed/code and chemistry as a science or professional pursuit (a vocation? a career? a job?).

First, definitions of Creed and Code--and we'll use Webster's (Third New International) as opposed to the OED because this the American Chemical Society and not the Royal Society of Chemistry (they have their own code after all!).

A "creed" is primarily a statement of belief and Webster's links this pretty directly to Christianity (Nicene Creed) and notes that this statement is intended to "exclude" as much as include certain beliefs. Definition #3c is likely what the ACS had in mind: "a formulation or epitome of principles, rules, opinions and precepts formally expressed and seriously adhered to and maintained." They list as a synonym "Religion" and near to this is the form "creedalism" which means "undue insistence upon traditional statements of belief." (Yikes!)

Man, it's really not surprising they moved away from that term now is it?

A "code" is in its primary sense, a "law" or broadly, "Law". However, as this code is not a legal document administered and enforced by a "state" with the ultimate power to incarcerate or kill we'll assume the ACS uses code to mean, as noted in #2b: "a set of rules for or standards or professional practices or behavior set up by an organized group (as an association of manufacturers) and usu. reinforced by certain police and punitive powers of the group against nonconforming members." They decidedly do not intend it to be defined as it is in #2c: "a set of rules of procedures and standards or materials designed to secure uniformity and protect the public interest...established by a public agency and commonly having the force of law in a particular jurisdiction..." No thank you!

And finally, just for good measure and to be clear as to what side the ACS has its bread buttered they changed this to "Chemical Professional's Code of Conduct" and really put some distance between creed and even "chemist" but perhaps broadens the reach of the Code to include professional conduct of all "agents" in the field of chemistry (academic, governmental and industrial). After all, pay your dues and you can belong to ACS and have it "govern" your conduct regardless of your actual work in chemistry.

Note that definition 2b does declare that these are rules for professional practice and perhaps the inclusion of "professional" in the 2007 code is redundant.

So, the code is one of conduct and not a belief system now. "Conduct" we should note for thoroughness likely is intended to mean "a mode or standard of personal behavior esp. as based on moral principles."

Okay, belief in something (a way of ...) has moved to the practice of professional behavior. What may have been gained in this broadening has likely led to loss of depth in commitment to the practice and tenets of the creed/code.

We'll examine the actual body of these declarations in subsequent posts.