Benevolence, (public) ethics and public services: Revisiting public value, public service motivation, and models of public administration through the ethics of supererogation

Biancu, Stefano and Ongaro, Edoardo (2025). Benevolence, (public) ethics and public services: Revisiting public value, public service motivation, and models of public administration through the ethics of supererogation. In: Ongaro, Edoardo; Orsina, Giovanni and Castellani, Lorenzo eds. The Humanities and Public Administration: An Introduction. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, pp. 68–78.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035333608.00010

Abstract

This chapter interrogates whether and how the moral philosophy notion of supererogatory action may enable to critically revisit key themes in public governance, public administration and public management (PA). Supererogatory actions and attitudes are usually considered morally positive and yet beyond the call of duty – they are not required nor demandable. The reason for that is that they are in some way necessary: the agent feels they have to do what is not required nor demandable to the extent that it is a condition of possibility of liberty and humanity. We query: how can PA promote what must be free and yet is necessary in order to have fully free and human citizens and institutions? The chapter considers how the perspective of supererogatory action may enalbe to critically revisit key theories and notions in PA, such as Public Value theory, the thoery of Public Service Motivation, and models of PA reform.

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