This dissertation utilizes an interpretive methodology rooted in hermeneutics in order to examine the philosophy of Aristotle and see what he may have to say to contemporary American public administration. Aristotle's potential contribution to scholarship in public administration is addressed within the context of the following three research questions: (1) From an Aristotelian perspective, what type of knowledge is most helpful to public administration practice? (2) From an Aristotelian perspective, what is the appropriate role of the citizen in public administration? and (3) From an Aristotelian perspective, what type of ethics is most appropriate for the practical conduct of public administration? Each of the three Aristotelian 'answers' to these research questions are subsequently compared and contrasted to the literature in American public administration.
I argue that, from an Aristotelian perspective, practical knowledge [ phronesis ] is the type of knowledge that is most helpful to public administrators. Additionally, I argue that an Aristotelian perspective suggests at least two appropriate roles for citizens in public administration: (1) the citizen-administrator, and (2) the citizen-collaborator. Finally, I argue that the ethical administrator is a citizen who uses practical knowledge in collaboration with other citizens to deliberate about the conditions in society that will allow all of its members to live a life of happiness, virtue, and excellence.
My Research