Public Ministration My Philosophy of Public Administration. Alexandra Chauran. Logic of Inquiry PADM Dr. Mary Eleanor Wickersham

Transcription

1 Public Ministration My Philosophy of Public Administration by Alexandra Chauran Logic of Inquiry PADM 9030 Dr. Mary Eleanor Wickersham November 12th, 2012 Valdosta State University 1

2 Introduction Administration contains the same root word as ministry, the core meaning to serve. Because my philosophy of public administration is such a cacophony of ideas, I ve chosen to refer to it as Public Ministration in this essay to keep my focus on the service aspect and to avoid the pretention of developing a Chauran Unified Theory of PA this early in the game. Welcome to my violent collision of Quantum Theory, Critical Theory and Machiavelli. I regard rationality suspiciously through narrowed eyes, as if it were a necessary evil that shouldn t be trusted with my purse or, more valuable yet, my sanity. Phenomenology is my friend, as I feel that I am deeply steeped in postmodernism, wherein Kant s imperatives can find no foothold and Plato s true forms don t exist. As I discuss my philosophy of Public Ministration, I will show how the fact that I am not objective reality s biggest fan draws me to Quantum Theory, and from there to a reluctant Machiavellian application. As a secular Public Minister, my duty will be to inform, interact with and possibly rally the public through our shared progression which, as championed by Quantum Theory and Critical theory are qualitative, aesthetic and even spiritual experiences with the lifeworld. Through the power of the written word, I intend to collectively find the plentiful asset of common ground, and the more elusive beast, common sense. Philosophy of Public Ministration Discussion 2

3 Public Ministration begins in the context of Quantum Theory and the embrace of subjective reality (Bogason 2001, 184). Yes, the truth is the truth as long as it works, but the very idea of truth is value-laden and unproductive, since such truth will necessarily be a moving target, false before too long. Notice how scientists, our mythological wizards of facts, avoid using the terms proven and truth, but instead work with theories and hypotheses that form an endless line of progression in our knowledge. Sometimes one step forward, two steps back. Thus, such of a philosophy as Public Ministration, must shift from structure to process through Quantum Theory. Goals are only relevant as progress benchmarks, for there is no ultimate outcome to humanity, at least none that we can be privy to at this time. We Public Ministers can only help our fellow beings along the way. Now that Public Ministration has a context, its application is through the pragmatic method of Machiavelli. This is not to say that Public Ministration is pragmatism. Of course, all theories of Public Administration want something that works. Like the laden term truth, I find little practical use for pragmatism when process is a focus instead of outcomes to problems. Imagine the pragmatist as a mouse in a maze. If the mouse takes a wrong turn, he or she may be stuck indefinitely, not wanting to move any further away from the cheese in order to back out of the dead end. Machiavelli s stress on decisive action, even if it at first may seem wrong to some, may mitigate that effect. As a side note, the principles of decisive action and experiential reference are the aspects of Machiavelli upon which are being drawn most in this article. Public Administrators should not check their morals or ethics at the door to the office. However, I acknowledge also that a 3

4 Public Administrator can be informed by his or her morality while thinking critically about it from an external perspective for the good of the public whom he or she serves. Remember, Machiavelli wasn t the Prince, but the Prince s advisor. So to, my practical role will be to write to other Public Administrators, or to the public itself, to advise as to what is in their best interests. The Machiavelli method is a process of encountering a problem based upon experiential knowledge (Jay 1994, 28). In modern times, this can be a direct appeal to the qualitative experience of the lifeworld, or it can be a quantitative positivist approach. Machiavelli was a critical thinker about problems, and the way that Public Administrators may have to move outside of their comfort zones. If Machiavelli is the application of Public Ministry, then Critical Theory must be the vision through which the critical thinker and problem solver views the world. There is more to the terrible beauty of the lifeworld than a single outcome of efficiency and profit. The differences between our perceptions cannot be entirely reconciled, but we can progress together while experiencing aesthetic and metaphysical blessings of the human condition. Quantum Theory, itself, folds into Critical theory because of the spiritual and qualitative aspect (Bogason, 184). With that, I ve come full circle in describing the context, application and vision for the process of Public Ministration. Gadflies Writing about Public Administration The Public Ministration writer s role: A Machiavellian Critical Quantum Theorist, must be to act as a gadfly to both Public Administrators and the public sphere; an irritant that continues the process of pearl formation in the oyster of humanity (Farmer 2005, 28). Via policy 4

5 memos to Public Administrators and appeals to the public sphere through print and other media, the goal is to inform, ignite and inspire. The first step in the process is to inform through constructivist reasoning, appealing to common values as indicated by Quantum Theory and Critical Theory. For example, that government should allow processes to unfold and that communities should support each other authentically and organically (Bogason 2001, 183). Attention must be drawn continuously to the interdependence we have on one another, and how our freedom or oppression causes us to become different individuals and different participants in a society (Farmer 2010, 79). The second step to practical application is to engage, interact with and ignite the people in the public sphere. The public sphere is where the process of the lifeworld truly takes place, and must be both protected and valued for its input to Public Administrators (Gripsrud 2010, ). In the form of novels, or even blog posts, understandings of individuals and groups have been changed and continue to be changed in the interplay between the public sphere and Public Administrators. In this way, Public Administration writers are the modern day Sophists, their words traveling around to tickle the ear of anyone who will listen. Of course, that means relating the information to the listener and creating dialogue in the public sphere. The final step for the modern Public Administration writer is to inspire and mobilize when necessary. That may require organizing and informing other Public Administrators around an important value in the current administrative process, or rallying the public into action and encouraging them to be gadflies themselves. In this final application, the Machiavelli Method will be necessary in order to identify problems and appeal to authority, whether the public sphere as a strong public entity, or to a pertinent Public Administrator, through the lens of empiricism 5

6 and experience. Best practices for one stage in the process may not be the best for all concerned or even the best for any in a few months time. As always, the Public Ministrator s focus should be upon helping fellow humans with the process of beauty, spirit, love and all those other parts of the lifeworld through whatever changes may be necessary in a chaotic system of government. Conclusion In conclusion, the philosophy of Public Ministration is a cycle that begins in the context of Quantum Theory and progresses to the provocative Machiavellian Method in order to address problems in progress. Machiavellian applications include appeals to authority where it rests, primarily in the public sphere in America, in order to marshal the resources of experience and empiricism to sharpen focus on a snapshot in time of subjective reality to inspire a dialogue. Critical theory is brought to bear upon the problem and its application, to keep the frame of reference on the intangible aspects of the lifeworld that are part of the more spiritual and qualitative human condition. Public Ministration comes full circle back to Quantum Theory when solutions must be continuously invoked and discarded without attachment to outcome, as we progress together. We are all in the same boat, here, even though we are essentially different people with different views of reality. Finally, within the application of the secular Public Minister as a writer, there are three essential duties of service: To inform, to inspire with interaction, and to ignite action. Ministration rather than strict management evokes a sense of collaborative interdependence in the public sphere, focusing on value ideals in the process rather than utopian outcomes. Within the written word, I am not a President but a Priestess, and this is my secular ministry to the public that I serve. 6

7 Bibliography Argyle, N Notes. Presented in Unit 3 Of Gadflies and Caves: Developing Critical Thinking in Logic of Inquiry at Valdosta State University, Valdosta. Bogason, Peter Postmodernism and American Public Administration in the 1990s. Administration and Society. 33(2): Farmer, D.J To Kill the King: Post-Traditional Governance and Bureaucracy. Armonke: M.E. Sharpe. Farmer, D. J., Public Administration in Perspective: Theory and Practice Through Multiple Lenses. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe. Gripsrud, J., Murdock, G., Moe, H. & Molander, A The Idea of the Public Sphere: A Reader. Kindle Edition. Lanham: Lexington Books. Jay, Antony Management and Machiavelli: Discovering a New Science of Management in the Timeless Principles of Statecraft. San Diego: Pfeiffer. 7