The contribution of the humanities to the theory and practice of public administration in the 21st century

Abstract This Forum Article integrates a range of four contributions which are all underpinned by the conviction that the rediscovery of the humanities may be beneficial to the field of public administration. The first piece examines the contribution that philosophy, as a key discipline of the humanities, can provide to the field of public administration; notably, the piece reflects on the ‘fixation with numbers’ that seems to characterise large part of research in public administration and it argues how, against this drift, a philosophy critical of a reality construed in and through numbers can help attain the level of reasoning required for successful public administration scholarship. The second piece reflects on how literature can foster an understanding and humanistic sensitivity towards constitutional values as well as the basic humane and humanising sympathy for the anguish of vulnerable individuals, thus revisiting the value of literature for the education and training of civil servants. The third piece revisits theological and religious studies and reflects on the continuing relevance of religion in and for public administration studies, notably in the current post‐secular era. The fourth and final piece focuses on the discipline of historiography within the humanities and reflects on key issues which require being addressed to establish a mature role for historical research in our discipline. The Forum Article as a whole provides an argument for the continuing relevance of the humanities for the development of the field of public administration. Points for practitioners This article argues why the humanities can be beneficial for the practice of public administration, including by bringing a different and complementary perspective: in fact, the reasoning of the humanities and that of the social sciences can be seen as complementary to each other. The humanities enable us to rediscover the significance of moral sentiments, imagination, and compassion—and to apply a more humane perspective to the practice of public services management. Integrating the humanities into public administration provides a deeper and broader understanding of ‘context’ and how it affects the functioning of public administrative systems. Integrating the humanities into the practice of public administration enables the overcoming of dangerous drifts in the field of public administration, including ‘fixation with numbers’.