Moralists, Pragmatists, and Rogues
Bureaucrats in Modern Mysteries
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10399343 |
|---|---|
| Authors | William T Gormley (Georgetown University, corresponding author), William T Gormley Jr |
| Year | 2001 |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 184-193 |
| Publication date | 2001-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Administration Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/0033-3352.00021 |
| OpenAlex | W2102922198 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 8 |
Many contemporary mysteries feature bureaucrats struggling with difficult ethical dilemmas. Should they lie? Disobey an order? Use physical force? Break the law in order to catch a criminal? In addition to their entertainment value, mysteries offer untapped opportunities to reflect on the moral conflicts faced by civil servants. In this article, the author analyzes the work of 12 modern mystery writers whose protagonists include police detectives, a medical examiner, a prosecutor, a park ranger, and a fire chief. Several types of bureaucrats are identified including moralists, pragmatists, and rogues. The author then links these types to broader ethical philosophies, such as actutilitarianism, rule‐utilitarianism, ethical egoism, and Kant's categorical imperative. He concludes that mysteries can be an effective teaching tool for courses in ethics and public administration
Economics · Entertainment · Epistemology · Order (exchange · Political science · Pragmatism · Sociology · Utilitarianism · Diverse Philosophical and Cultural Studies · Law · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,29 |
| Citation span | 2005 - 2021 (17) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |