The Problem of Moral Reasoning in American Public Administration: The Case for a Code of Ethics

* This essay categorizes and analyzes the arguments for and against a code of ethics for the American Society for Public Administration. The arguments against a code are said to be from practicality, procedure, and administrative theory. The arguments for a code are said to be from objectivism, community, and courage. The negative argument from practicality is based on the founders' call for moderation in moral matters. The negative argument from procedure places great value on consensus, and builds consensus around the agreement to agree on nothing substantive. The negative argument from administrative theory honors the tradition of the value neutral administrator who has no discretion and therefore no moral responsibility. The affirmative argument from objectivism posits transcendent values and holds that actions are the predicates of being. The affirmative argument from community maintains that the community is the arbiter of what is ethical, and that ethical relativism represents both a loss of