Unmasking Administrative Evil

by Danny L. Balfour, Guy B. Adams, Ashley E. Nickels

The relationship between evil and public affairs, as well as other fields and professions in public life, has come to the fore as institutions of government seek new ways to operate in an environment of extreme mistrust. Unmasking Administrative Evil, 5th Edition　argues that the tendency toward administrative evil, as manifested in acts of dehumanization and genocide, is deeply woven into the identity of public affairs. Indeed, ordinary people may simply act appropriately in their organizational role—in essence, just doing what those around them would agree they should be doing—and at the same time, participate in what a critical and reasonable observer, usually well after the fact, would call evil. Even worse, under conditions of moral inversion, ordinary people can all too easily engage in acts of administrative evil while believing that what they are doing is not only correct, but in fact, good. This 5th edition offers important updates,





A thorough discussion of contemporary virtue ethics as the field has evolved to offer an alternative to technical/rational ethics.



An all-new three-part structure (What is Administrative Evil?, History and Cases, and The Future of Ethics in Praetorian Times) designed to aid in course organization and instruction.



All-new cases, including an examination of the Flint water disaster, to provide contemporary examples of how populations can be marginalized and harmed by administrative processes that are blind to their consequences until it is too late.



Laying the groundwork for a more ethical and democratic public life – one that recognizes its potential for evil, and avoids state-sponsored dehumanization and destruction – Unmasking Administrative Evil, 5th Edition is required reading for all students of administrative ethics and public service ethics, as well those in other administrative sciences.

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2019

Reviews

[Breanna Hillman]

I had to read this for my Masters program and I honestly have never had so much trouble reading a book. I believe there are great ideas in here but it was so hard to understand. With a background in journalism I found so many words that were unnecessary in these sentences. They tried so hard at writing academically that it became impossible to follow. I’ve never understood why writers do this 🤦‍♀️

[Beatrice Jacobs]

Fantastic book that does a great job of describing the how the technical rational approach to administration can and has resulted in pervasive and corrosive evil. The updated sampe cases did a really good job of showcasing the themes the authors' wished to convey.

[Amber]

This is an excellent book, completely recommend for anyone interested in public service and ethical obligations to each other and ourselves.