慈悲與智慧的公務倫理

The Ethics of Public Service Based on Compassion and Wisdom

現代的公共官僚組織，主要理念源自於韋伯（M. Weber）官僚型模主張，而韋伯官僚型模的特色，包括「專業分工、非人情取向、權威的層級節制、依法行政」等，反應在現實的官僚運作上，雖具有理性、專業化、一致性等正面功能，但同時也帶來缺乏人文關懷、冷酷、僵化等反功能，而這些反功能常常是社會對於官僚組織的普遍感受，因此常有民眾認為公務體系是僵化、無人性、冷酷無情的。本文首先指出官僚體系存在「權威的物化、目標錯置、非人情化」等病態，接著說明要解決這些病態，只有同理心和專業尚不足夠，最後提出透過聖嚴法師所倡導的心靈環保理念，以慈悲及智慧為根本，建立一種新的公務倫理文化，強調人文關懷，賦予行政人員更多的權限空間，以協助民眾解決實際困難，同時對於情理法的相互涵攝，提出新的框架建議。

The main concepts of bureaucracy are generally derived from Weber's bureaucratic model. Weber identified several characteristics of bureaucracy, including the “professional division of labor, impersonality, hierarchical management structure, and formal rules and regulations”. These characteristics produce positive functions such as specialization, rationality, obedience, consistency and predictability. However, they also cause many negative functions, like trained incapacity, lack of morale, communication barriers, and inflexible and rigid methods. Unfortunately, most people characterize bureaucracy purely in terms of this negative side. This article points out that the bureaucratic system has pathologies such as “reification of authority, goal displacement, impersonality,” and then explains that in order to solve these pathologies, empathy and professionalism alone are not enough. This paper describes a new model of public service ethics based on compassion and wisdom, and proposes a new framework of affection, reason and law. It emphasizes humanism, and empowering civil servants with more powers to help people solve their difficulties.