Reclaiming the dialectic : toward the transformative practice of public administration

This work evaluates the progress of "actually existing" critical theory in public administration and offers a philosophical alternative. I explore and defend four main propositions: 1) the critical theory of the Frankfurt School does not give an adequate foundation for societal change because it became irreconcilable with praxis; 2) Habermas' reliance on the pragmatism of Peirce leads to a version of procedural democracy that perpetuates privileging the right over the good; 3) critical theory in public administration has yet to reconcile the obligations of the public servant with the imperatives of a critical approach; and 4) in order to become a viable tradition in public administration, critical theory must be "operationalized." I suggest that this connection to practice can be best accomplished through the theories of Antonio Gramsci and the tradition of critical, especially participatory, research. Drawing on work in critical legal studies and critical lawyering, I develop the concept of a transformative practice of public administration, which incorporates a justification for envisioning the public administrator as an agent for societal change.