The art of moral choice: the dilemmas of the architect's professional ethics

The study deals with the dilemmas of the architect’s professional ethics in the context of the architectural ethics. The differences between the architectural ethics and the professional ethics of the architect are determined. The author identifies that the architectural ethics as a part of the philosophy of architecture refers to the special moral problems originated from the practical, social, and artistic nature of architecture. At the same time, the professional ethics of the architect, which is regarded as a part of the architectural ethics, is of a regulatory nature, and it consists in the codified principles and standards of the architectural ethics. Analyzing the works of contemporary foreign researchers, the author concludes that the architect’s professional ethics is an art of moral choice, which places various moral dilemmas at the ethical center of the architect. The architect faces the following dilemmas: the correlation between ethical and aesthetic values in architectural activity, the relationships between business and art, the ratio of professional moral values and “architectural utilitarianism”. In conclusion, the research analyzes the possible ways of development of the architectural and professional ethics.