ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to show how a historical approach to public ethics offers solutions to both aforementioned sets of problems and how it allows for new and valuable perspectives on public-sector ethics. Historical study of cases of corruption provides an opportunity to investigate discussion, disagreement and public value conflict that make up public ethics at different times and places. The chapter provides a brief overview of universalist and particularistic approaches to the study of public ethics and corruption. Corruption research - a quickly expanding field - became the domain of scholars adhering to a public choice or an institutional design approach.The term 'corruption' looked less elusive, and this paved the way for anti-corruption policies to further good governance. Historical research on public ethics has - in addition to methodological, empirical, theoretical and practical advantages - important normative consequences for today's research and policy on 'good governance', corruption and public integrity.
