Irony and Public Administration Ethics An Examination of Niebuhr's Irony of American History and Its Relevance to Contemporary Ethical Problems

Reinhold Niebuhr used the concept of irony to analyze the ethical issues presented by the cold war and to propose a realistic way to counter communism in keeping with fundamental American values. This article suggests that Niebuhr's concept of irony can be a valuable tool in dealing with the global war on terror and rethinking ideas of political ethics in light of new threats. Like the cold war, the war on terror requires an examination of the ethical grounding of the use of power to combat a foe whose illusions often mirror those of the United States. The Christian grounding of Niebuhr's concept is a possible impediment to incorporating it in the secular setting of public administration. A form of realism that combines Niebuhr's irony-based realism with a realism derived from ethical ideas of prudence is suggested.