The Appearance of Impropriety

Isn’t avoiding even the appearance of impropriety the best thing to do?

Glenn Reynolds and Peter Morgan, authors of The Appearance of Impropriety, would disagree. Although their book has been out for a while, it is still the best work on the tendency to ignore intent and focus on image. Here an excerpt on “appearance ethics”:

In fact, appearance ethics not only fail to foster better behavior in those they govern, they also undermine the behavior of those who apply them. One of the chief appeals of appearance ethics to its enforcers (who include the corps of press and commentators) is that – much like reprinting press releases as news – judging appearances requires little knowledge of substance, allowing one to discuss the issues without the need for bothersome research or thought. Classical thinkers on ethical matters had a term for this tendency to avoid hard work. It was called laziness, and it was not considered a virtue. Another appeal of appearance ethics is that it provides something to talk about: when appearance ethics are the rule, even an unsubstantiated accusation can be said to create a bad appearance. Thus, even an unsubstantiated accusation provides grist for the mill of news flashes, op-eds, and talking-head shows.