The reflective judgment community

Philosophical bases for the creation of communities of ethical practice in public institutions

Abstract

The application of ethics to public management processes -in the political and administrative sense- requires a complex process of analysis and diagnosis of infrastructures (normative, institutional, processes, etc.) that allow embedding instruments and ethical practices in public institutions. This work briefly explores the origin and characteristics of ethics applied to public management, taking up some of its characteristics related to application processes. Subsequently it problematizes how the dominant approaches —deontologism and utilitarianism— can be integrated into practical situations and incorporated into the knowledge management processes in public institutions. Some own research experiences are discussed. Finally, and considering the characteristics and some antecedents in the field of communities of practice in public administration, a proposal is formulated for the design of communities of ethical practice in public institutions, adaptable to various formats.