Splitting the universe - On the relevance of dichotomies for the study of public administration

Traditionally the politics/administration dichotomy is referred to in the s tudy of public administration as the founding dichotomy. Debates on its ten ability are as old as its discovery. In the arguments put forward, however, no attention is paid to the epistemological nature of dichotomies. This ar ticle tries refill this gap. It is usually assumed that dichotomies have a contradictory nature. By looking at the logic of contradictions, and argume nts relating to the use of logic in social practice. it is concluded that t his is a false assumption. They are to be interpreted as conceptual constru cts with an ideal-typical status. This reinterpretation of the nature of di chotomies helps to clarify the debates on the politics/administration dicho tomy. It implies,for instance, that rejecting the dichotomy because of its contradictory or unrealistic nature is misguided.