Mindmap

UNIT 6

 

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· Unit 6 Absolute Versus Relative

INTRODUCTION

A claimed hallmark of democracy is a free press. In our political philosophy, a free and unfettered press is an important means for checking up on and balancing political and administrative wrongdoing. A free press can unmask false or misleading claims and alert us to important issues that might otherwise remain hidden. Peters (2001) alerts us to the need for checks and balances outside the government structure when he notes, "accountability questions are more acute in public agencies" (p. 301). Public administrators make the laws, execute them, and then adjudicate them. This leaves open potential issues that encourage and in fact support the need for others to examine the public setting with an objective eye. Objectivity, though, is the key concept that we expect in any analysis of public issues.

TOGGLE DRAWERHIDE FULL INTRODUCTION

If we can all recognize moral and ethical behavior when we see it, why do we need watchdogs overseeing our public sector? If one believes the concepts of absolutism, there are absolute moral truths to which everyone must adhere. Violations of those truths will be obvious. If one believes in relativism, however, there are no absolutes and everything is relative—the situation, the culture, and individuals. Oversight then becomes subjective based on the relative beliefs one holds. This has global ramifications as well, as other countries and other governments may not view ethics in the same way that we do in the U.S. This can lead to challenges in finding common ground for ethical dilemmas. In this unit, you will explore the premises of absolutism and relativism, and examine oversight issues through the prism of the media.

Reference

Peters, B. G. (2001). The politics of bureaucracy (5th ed.). London, England: Routledge.

OBJECTIVES

To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:

1. Assess how absolutism and relativism inform ethical decision making.

2. Examine the ethics theories of absolutism and relativism as they apply to public sector ethical dilemmas.

3. Apply an ethical analysis to freedom of the press, a basic premise of public and private sector intersection.

· LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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[u06s1] Unit 6 Study 1

Studies

Readings

· In your Thiroux and Krasemann text, read Chapter 5, "Absolutism Versus Relativism," pages 77–90.

Presentation

The Intersection of Ethics, Government, and the Media

Launch Presentation  |  Transcript

Ethics in the media and their representation of the truth can be interpreted in two ways: either the media reports the truth, or it masks the truth and remakes it to a certain end. Click Launch Presentation to view "The Intersection of Ethics, Government, and the Media" to help you prepare for this week's discussions.

Discussion Preparation

· To prepare for this unit's first discussion, Global Society, Absolutism, and Relativism, locate at least three peer-reviewed sources on the application of absolutism and relativism in the public sector.

· For this unit's second discussion, Freedom of the Press, identify an example of freedom of the press and its impact on a government agency or individual.

Mindmap

Add to your ethics mindmap based on the theories and practices that you learn about this week. As a reminder, you will add to this mindmap in each unit and submit it to your instructor in unit 8.

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[u06s2] Unit 6 Study 2

Ethical Decision Making

Work on your Unit 7 assignment, a plan to help you with ethical decision making.

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[u06d1] Unit 6 Discussion 1

Global Society, Absolutism, and Relativism

Resources

·   Discussion Participation Scoring Guide .

Being part of a global society means that we as public administrators may interact with our counterparts around the world, multicultural and diverse populations at home, and people of different perspectives and beliefs in our workplaces. Using the text and at least three peer-reviewed sources, debate the following question: Are there absolute ethical beliefs that cross all societal boundaries, or is ethics relative? Argue and support your position, and then argue and support the opposite viewpoint. Remember to cite all sources used in your analysis.

Response Guidelines

Read your peers' posts and respond to at least one, comparing your positions on absolutism versus relativism around the globe. Find ways to achieve common ground when viewpoints differ.

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[u06d2] Unit 6 Discussion 2

Freedom of the Press

Resources

·   Discussion Participation Scoring Guide .

There is a long-held journalistic tradition that the press reports the facts of a situation and these facts lead us to the truth. Some argue, however, that in their rush to articulate the truth, the press has let the facts recede too far into the background. The problem has become not so much the reporting of facts, but the question of how reporters determine the truth. From Watergate through numerous government failures and public figure scandals, the media has played an ever-increasing role in the activities and influences of the public sector.

For this discussion:

· Identify an example of freedom of the press in relation to a government entity or a public sector figure.

· Analyze any issues of censorship, cover-up, or pressure tactics that may have come into play.

· Describe the ethical implications of the media and its positive or negative influence in this case.

· Comment on issues of integrity for the government entity or public sector figure.

· Define corrective measures that would address any ethical issues that you have identified.

Response Guidelines

Read your peers' posts and respond to at least one, commenting on how the analysis and rationale of your peer's examples helps your own perspective to evolve.