Abstract

The dissertation has sought to explore the philosophy of Edmund Burke and its implications for Public Administration. By employing an interpretive research approach and building a Burkean framework, as shaped by Burke's ideas on human reason, tradition, law, and representation, I have argued that in a Burkean world, administrative discretion is essential and desirable. Furthermore, such discretion must be exercised within an institutional framework based upon commitment to a set of national public principles and to the Constitution. Public administrators must also be seen as virtual representatives who are sensitive to the interests of the people and who make the constitution effective by fleshing the meaning of laws in their actions. However, from a Burkean perspective, discretion to administrators should not be unbounded. Administrative discretion must be appropriately checked by a system of democratic accountability and the law. ;In order to demonstrate the contemporary relevance of Burke's thought, the dissertation also compares and contrasts this Burkean view of public administration with the views of six major scholars in public administration. While similarities exist, important differences are also observed that at root reflect differing views as to the role of reason in public administration