Got Ethics?

I was recently discussing ethics and its importance, and the conversation brought up some issues that have been plaguing me for awhile now.  I am a huge advocate of adhering to a code of ethics because I believe ethics is the foundation necessary to be successful in anything you do.  It is not possible to be productive or successful if you have not established and follow a set of standards that are consistent with professional conduct.

That being said, I unfortunately live in a world where few people actually know what ethics are and even fewer have any or subscribe to any.  My dictionary defines ethics as: ethics |ˈeTHiks|
pluralnoun1 [ usu. treated as pl. ] moral principles that govern a person's or group's behavior: Judeo-Christian ethics.• the moral correctness of specified conduct: the ethics of euthanasia.2 [ usu. treated as sing. ] the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.
         This definition is fine and my interpretation of it is similar.  To me, ethics really are "common sense" beliefs and actions that EVERYONE should naturally know or have been taught at an early age.  I remember back in grade school being taught basic rights, wrongs and truths such as, "treat people the way you want to be treated," "don't lie, cheat or steal," "help others," "respect your elders," "be true to your word," and "love one another" to name a few.  These basics have served as a foundation for how to carry oneself with honor and integrity in preparation for being successful and productive in society.

          I know for a fact and have proven to myself, that having and following a set of ethics will guarantee success, reduce stress and loss, and increase productivity while positioning one to leadership, all the while separating oneself from those who lack ethics.
         

     There is no way one can be considered professional if they lack ethics and this is where I have issues. I often deal with people who are in professional positions yet adhere to no ethics or are "burnt out" and no longer care about maintaining professionalism.  For example, I have an instructor who is often late, sometimes not showing up at all, can very rarely answer any questions concerning his courses and carries himself in a lackadaisical manner which is uninspiring and detrimental to his students.  I have no confidence in his abilities and loathe seeing his name appear on my schedule.  He announces he grades on a rigid scale requiring submitted work to be of "high-quality" and industry standard, yet he doesn't teach in that manner.  There's no way you can teach professionalism if you're not professional.  I am frustrated and my flesh wants to handle the situation in a manner that is not conducive with professionalism.  However, I will not allow ANY person to bring me down to a level that is less than what I am capable of carrying myself, and I will maintain my integrity and use the situation as a learning tool to advance myself.  Ethics.