Are You Scared Yet? On the Ethic of Sustainability and the Politics of Fear in Public Administration. (31st July 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spicer, Michael W.; Bowen, William M.
• Is Part Of: Public integrity. Volume 19:Number 4(2017)
• Page Start: 301
• Page End: 315
• Publication Date: 2017-07-31
• Subjects: environmental policy -- ethics -- politics -- public administration -- sustainability; Civil service ethics -- United States -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects -- United States -- Periodicals; Political ethics -- United States -- Periodicals; Civil service ethics -- Periodicals; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects -- Periodicals; Political ethics -- Periodicals; Civil service ethics; Political ethics; Public administration -- Moral and ethical aspects; United States; PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION; CIVIL SERVICE; MORAL ASPECTS; POLITICAL ETHICS; Periodicals; 172
• DOI: 10.1080/10999922.2016.1233379
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1099-9922

Abstract

Abstract : This article offers a critical examination of the ethic of sustainability. It argues that, notwithstanding the importance of environmental problems, such an ethic has the effect of promoting a politics of fear by emphasizing our fears about human survival and security. As such, despite its attractions, an ethic of sustainability for public administration reinforces already deeply embedded antipolitical ways of thinking within the field that ignore its constitutional practices and traditions, and are potentially harmful to public administration practice.