Response to commentaries: Public Authority: Paradox, Process, and Palindrome

• Author: Mark Prebble
• DOI: 10.1177/00953997211053487
• Published date: 01 November 2021
• Date: 01 November 2021
• Subject Matter: Perspectives

https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997211053487

Administration & Society

2021, Vol. 53(10) 1643 –1654

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/00953997211053487

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Perspectives

Response to commentaries:

Public Authority: Paradox,

Process, and Palindrome

Mark Prebble1

Introduction

I am grateful to Professors Benington, Hartley, Meynhardt, Moore and Peters

for providing comments on my essay, and hope to do justice to their efforts in

this response. The first section of this paper outlines the main difference

between the commenters and me. That is followed by a restatement of the

central point in my essay and a brief explanation of its significance. The next

section describes methods of adjusting to unknowability, including democ-

racy. The conclusion briefly considers the importance of public authority.

Epistemology and Feasibility Versus Justification

Guy Peters has adopted a structure that permits an overview of the similari-

ties and differences between the contributions to this discussion. He distin-

guishes two questions: (i) is public value knowable? (That is a question of

epistemology); (ii) can we know enough to create public value? (That is a

question of feasibility). His answer to the first question is “yes.” He acknowl-

edges that we cannot make a precise valuation, but the reality is that we do

not live in a perfect world and do not expect perfect knowledge; at the level

of approximation where life is conducted it is quite possible to identify that

which is of value from that which is not. The second question is harder

because it involves issues of uncertainty and risk but that can be addressed

using professional skills of analysis and management. Perfection is not pos-

sible, but improvement is possible, so Peters’ answer to the second question

is another “yes.”1

1Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Corresponding Author:

Mark Prebble, Adjunct Professor, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington,

Private Bag, Wellington 6140, New Zealand.

Email: prebblemark@gmail.com

1053487AAS0010.1177/00953997211053487Administration & SocietyPrebble

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