Composite Rationality: An Integrative Paradigm of Rationality in Contemporary Public Administration

Modern public administration faces complex challenges such as transboundary issues,value pluralism,and networked governance,which traditional paradigms like formal rationality,instrumental rationality,and value rationality struggle to effectively address.As an integrative paradigm,composite rationality emphasizes the organic integration of technical rationality,value rationality,and communicative rationality to achieve the dynamic fusion and synergistic adaptation of multiple rational elements within the policy process,thereby enhancing the inclusiveness and adaptability of the governance system.The proposition of composite rationality aims to bridge the divide among traditional rational paradigms,foster a shift in governance thinking from binary oppositions towards an integrated equilibrium,and simultaneously enhance the legitimacy of public decision-making,social acceptance,and policy innovation capacity.Its core mechanisms include the dual embeddedness of bureaucratic structures and network relations,the collaborative adaptation between rules and situational contexts,and a dynamic equilibrium among diverse values.