Re: Reaction to Gyekye's concept of political corruption as “moral pollution”. Despite his current popularity among political scientists, Gyekye rejects the theory that institutional reform is a useful solution. anti-corruption strategy. This leads him to conclude that political corruption is fundamentally a moral problem, to which the "most adequate therapeutic response" is a "serious and deep commitment to our moral beliefs and principles" through what he calls a "moral revolution ". This memo disagrees with Gyekye on both counts, first criticizing Gyekye for his failure to provide a clearly defined alternative framework for his "moral revolution" recommendation, then arguing that institutional reform, even if not without challenges, remains the best option available. .BackgroundIn chapter 7 of Tradition and Modernity, Gyekye argues that political corruption is a moral problem and that a "moral revolution" is necessary for public officials to "strengthen their moral will to avoid involvement in acts of political corruption.” Gyekye begins by defining political corruption as "the illegal, unethical, and unauthorized exploitation of one's political or official position for personal gain or advantage," followed by an examination of common acts of corruption politics, which include the acceptance of bribes, kickbacks, fraud, bribery, embezzlement of public funds, favoritism and nepotism. The discussion then turns to the root causes of political corruption, which constitute the central point of contention for Gyekye. He recognized that weak political leadership, certain types of social structures (he mentions communitarianism in African societies), poor economic circumstances and lack of adequate legal and institutional framework...... middle of document.. ....what works and what doesn't, and, over time, as it identifies effective reforms for its unique system, they can replicate them in other cities, regions and up national level. This “bottom-up” approach (as opposed to the traditional “top-down” approach) represents an exciting new development for the institutional reform approach to anti-corruption work. Conclusion Although Gyekye offers a thought-provoking examination of political corruption and a critique of institutional reform, he ultimately fails to provide a clearly defined alternative framework for his recommendation of moral revolution. Institutional reform, although with some challenges, remains the best option available to resolve political corruption. Works cited: Kwame Gyekye, “Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflections on the African Experience”, Oxford University Press, 1997. 192-216.