POAD8137 Professional Ethics and Public Administration

This topic aims to develop your critical understanding of the various philosophical and social scientific theories of ethics, the ethical issues raised by the practice of public administration, how people make ethical decisions and how public sector ethics can be improved. To achieve this, you will explore philosophical and social scientific theories of ethics as well as a number of ethical issues raised by the practice of public administration. You will also examine how policy disputes reflect different types of morality, how people arrive at moral judgements, how to make an ethically informed decision and investigate ways in which public sector ethics can be improved.

This topic aims to develop a critical understanding of:

• The various philosophical and social scientific theories of ethics
• The ethical issues that the practice of public administration raises
• How people make ethical decisions and how public sector ethics can be improved

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the different philosophical theories of ethics such as deontology, utilitarianism and virtue ethics; as well as an understanding of how to apply them to moral issues
2. Demonstrate critical understanding of the different ethical issues that the practice of public administration raises such as dirty hands, conflicts of values, conflicts of interest, accountability and politicisation of administration
3. Demonstrate understanding of various social scientific theories of morality, how people arrive at moral judgements and how policy disputes reflect different types of morality
4. Make ethically informed decisions using the knowledge developed in this topic
5. Reflect upon professional practice in order to meet ethical challenges at individual and institutional level
6. Demonstrate thorough understanding of the various ways in which public sector ethics can be improved