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The topic of moral competence is generally neglected in the study of public management and policy, yet it is critical to any hope we might have for strengthening the quality of governance and professional practice. What does moral competence consist in? How is it developed and sustained? These questions are addressed in this book through close examination of selected practitioners in Asian countries making life-defining decisions in their work. The protagonists include a doctor in Singapore, a political activist in India, a mid-level bureaucrat in central Asia, a religious missionary in China, and a journalist in Cambodia-each struggling with ethical challenges that shed light on what it takes to act effectively and well in public life. Together they bear witness to the ideal of public service, exercising their personal gifts for the well-being of others and demonstrating that, even in difficult circumstances, the reflective practitioner can be a force for good.     

Ethics in Public Life: Good Practitioners in a Rising Asia

Introduction 1. A Gift of Life: Developing a Framework for Ethics 2. The Prison Master's Dilemma: Ethics in a Non-Ideal World 3. Missionaries in China: The Ethics of Exporting Ethics Addendum: Exporting the Rule of Law to China 4. The Woman in the Corridor: Caring Across Boundaries 5. By the people: Becoming a Practitioner of Democracy Conclusion: Moral Competence in Public Life.