REASON, DISCRETION, AND TRADITION - A REFLECTION ON THE BURKEAN WORLDVIEW AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC-ADMINISTRATION

This article seeks to better identify Edmund Burke's views an human re ason and human nature, tradition, representation, and law, and the imp lications of these views for public administration Parallels between B urke's thought and that of the Founders (Founding Fathers) are examine d Also, the reasons for neglect of Burke's thought by public administr ation writers are discussed. Drawing on Burke's thought the article pr esents an argument for the exercise of significant discretion by publi c administrators bur argues that this discretion should be limited by administrative rules and procedures and by a set of ethics that emphas izes prudence and tradition.