Abstract

Administrative ethics denotes the professional moral code for public administrators. These codes of conduct form the moral backbone of civil service. These ethics are important for the functioning of the state and ensuring public trust in the  government. These ethics are meant to be upheld by not only the administrators but the entire community at large. However, these ethic, themselves, are influenced by the changing society and social values. As the society has shifted from an undemocratic outlook to a democratic one, so have the social values. One can understand the true nature of a society through its public administration ethics. Despite, most societies in the past believing in the divine rights of the king or ruler, there have been several guidelines laid down by several thinkers, jurists and philosophers. Today, these ethics generally apply to the civil servants of a nation and not the politicians.  Distinction can be seen not only across timelines but also across societies. While such a distinction was more prevalent in a pre-globalization era, it continues to exist, however, only marginally. The modern world has seen a rise in interest on administrative ethics, however, despite said development, the essence or crux of such ethics are yet to be found. This paper seeks to analyze the administrative ethics in both the past and present and compare the two.

Keywords: Ethics, Public administration, Ancient systems, Veda, Governance