Alterity, Levinasian ethics and public administration

The purpose of this work is to offer an alternative normative theory of public administration with a grounding in a philosophical framework of analysis rooted in the ideas of Emmanuel Levinas. It is a grounding that moves ethics to the status of "first philosophy", that gives ethics a priority in our thinking and action, ahead of all other considerations. The research question of this dissertation is as follows. How does Levinasian ethics inform administrative ethics and responsibility as it is conceptualized in public administration? Specifically, can an ethic consistent with Levinasian thought advance our understanding of the ethical dimensions of administrative responsibility and accountability? Furthermore, can Levinasian ethics as an element of discretionary administrative decision making help enhance relationships between administrators and citizens?; The review of literature examines relevant literature according to the three components of the title as well as phenomenological and postmodern theory in public administration to show how a Levinasian approach to administrative ethics might contribute to the discussion of ethics within the public administration literature. The methodology of research proposed for this topic is one that is discursive while the goal is to be normative. The framework utilized for this effort is non-linear. An examination of administrative exemplars and systems are offered for consideration and contrasted with goals set forth in the standards of ethics of the field in order to demonstrate how Levinasian ideas can be actualized in a professional sense.; The conclusion of this dissertation is that Levinasian ethics offers a new place from which to pursue a normative investigation of how administrators can make decisions in the absence of direct legislative guidance. It does so by heeding an earlier call to the field to utilize philosophy when seeking guidance for administrators and specifically looking toward phenomenological and postmodern considerations to understand administrative action within the context of face-to-face interaction between administrators and clients.