The Ethics of Problem Representation: Widening the Scope of Ethical Debate

This paper makes a case for extending the scope of ethical reflection and debate in public policy beyond the current tendency to confine ethical scrutiny to the behaviours of individual politicians or public servants, and/or to a restricted set of issues characterized as “moral” issues, decided by “conscience” (eg abortion, euthanasia, etc.). It argues that reflecting on the ways in which public policies construct or represent social “problems” provides a rationale for broadening ethical scrutiny to the basic purposes of government. This is because the ways in which policy “problems” are represented (problem representations) have a range of ethical implications for targeted groups and individuals and for the general population, in terms of people's sense of self-worth, their participation in democratic decision-making, and their ability to live full and meaningful lives.