Philosophy, politics and economics: Difference between revisions

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (often abbreviated to PPE) is a popular interdisciplinary undergraduate/graduate degree which combines study from the three disciplines. The first institution to offer degrees in PPE was the University of Oxford and this particular course has produced a significant number of notable graduates such as David Cameron, the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. According to the BBC, it "dominate[s] public life" (in the UK).^[1] It is now offered at several other leading colleges and universities around the world.

PPE was established in Balliol College, Oxford University, in the 1920s,^[2] as a modern alternative to Classics (known as Greats) because it was thought that a course in Philosophy and Ancient History was no longer relevant for those entering the civil service. It was thus initially known as Modern Greats.^[3][1] Christopher Stray has pointed to the course as one reason for the gradual decline of the study of classics, as classicists in political life began to be edged out by those who had studied the Modern Greats^[4] Dario Castiglione and Iain Hampsher-Monk have described the course as being fundamental to the development of political thought in the UK, since it established a connection between politics and philosophy, whereas previously at Oxford, and for some time subsequently at Cambridge, politics had been taught only as a branch of modern history.^[5]

The design of the programme emanates from the view that to understand social phenomena one must approach them from several complementary disciplinary directions and analytical frameworks. In this regard, the study of Philosophy is considered important because it both equips students with meta-tools such as the ability to reason rigorously and logically, and facilitates ethical reflection. The study of Politics is considered necessary because it acquaints students with the authoritative structures that govern society and help solve collective action problems. Finally, studying Economics is seen as vital in the modern world because political decisions often concern economic matters, and government decisions are often influenced by economic events.

Oxford PPE graduate Nick Cohen and former tutor Iain McLean consider the course's breadth important to its appeal, especially because British society values generalists over specialists. However, Geoffrey Evans has argued that the Oxford course's success is a self-perpetuating feature of the class system.^[1]

• Durham University ^[6]
• Lancaster University
• London School of Economics ("Government and Economics")^[7]
• Open University ^[8]
• Swansea University ^[9]
• Queen's University Belfast ^[10]
• Trinity College Dublin (PPES - with Sociology) ^[11]
• University College Dublin^[12]
• University College London (under the designation of BA "European Social and Political Studies", in addition to the MA "Philosophy, Politics and Economics of Health")^[13]
• University of East Anglia^[14]
• University of Essex^[15]
• University of Exeter ^[16]
• University of Glasgow
• University of Hull^[17]
• University of Manchester ^[18]
• University of Oxford ^[19]
• University of Stirling
• University of Warwick ^[20]
• University of York ^[21]

• Carroll University ^[22]
• Claremont McKenna College ^[23]
• Denison University ^[24]
• Duke University ^[25] (certificate)
• Eastern Oregon University ^[26][27]
• Juniata College ^[28]
• The King's College (New York) ^[29]
• King's University College^[30]
• Minnesota State University, Mankato ^[31]
• Pomona College ^[32]
• University of British Columbia-Okanagan ^[33]
• University of Alabama-Birmingham ^[34]
• University of Akron ^[35]
• University of Iowa ^[36] (certificate)
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Minor) ^[37]
• University of Notre Dame ^[38] (minor)
• University of Pennsylvania ^[39]
• University of Pittsburgh ^[40]
• University of Richmond ^[41] (upcoming: PPEL - with law)
• University of Washington Tacoma ^[42]
• University of Western Ontario ^[43]
• Wesleyan University ^[44]
• Western Washington University ^[45]
• Wilfrid Laurier University ^[46]
• Yale University (under the designation "Ethics, Politics and Economics," abbreviated "EP&E")^[47]

• American University of Paris
• Bifrost University ^[48]
• Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• La Trobe University, Australia ^[49]
• Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich ^[50]
• Obafemi Awolowo University ^[51]
• Peking University ^[52]
• Stellenbosch University ^[53]
• University of Bayreuth ^[54]
• University of Bern ^[55]
• University of Cape Town ^[56]
• University of Hamburg
• University of KwaZulu-Natal ^[57]
• University of Otago
• Waseda University ^[58]
• Witten/Herdecke University

• Notable people with PPE degrees from Oxford
• Greats degree course
• Interdisciplinarity

• PPE, Oxford University - Official Website
• Politics Student - Political opinion from students and young activists