The principle is best summed up in the simple phrase, 'above all do no harm'. According to this most basic of all moral principles, needless injury to others ought to be avoided whenever possible. The academic Gunneman states:

'We know of no societies, from the literature of anthropology or comparative ethics, whose moral codes do not contain some injunction against harming others. The specific notion of harm or social injury may vary, as well as the mode of correction and restitution but the injunctions are present.'

Kant and other philosophers have stressed that a vital element of person hood is the capacity to be self-determining. The Kantian notion of person hood emphasises the 'Equal worth and universal dignity of all persons, because all rational persons have a dual capacity: the ability to develop a rational plan to pursue their conception of the good life, and also the ability to respect this same capacity of self-determination in others. In other words, for an individual to be truly human, that person must be free to decide what is in his or her best interest.'

The principle implies that someone has given agreement freely to something. For such an assent to have significance, it should be informed, that is, based on accurate information and an understanding of the issues at hand. If this information is deliberately withheld or is incomplete because of carelessness, then the consent is given under false pretences and is invalid.

Referring to the highlighted course of actions that stakeholders have or are considering taking, the ethical principles stated under deontology, teleology and the normative principles should be applied to determine whether the consequences of these actions are ethical or unethical. However, it is important to note that in analysing any specific course of action, the evaluation of that action that is suggested by one ethical philosophy might contradict the evaluation of the same action by another ethical philosophy. For example, a moral duty to improve one self may conflict with a utilitarian duty to operate in the public interest. The principles are simply allowing you to assemble a rational reason for your course of action. A moral position for a course of action can be assessed according to objective criteria, in terms of whether they respect or violate the basic ethical principles presented in this section.