What is Philosophy, Politics, and Economics?

PPE affirms a tight connection between philosophy and the social sciences. It joins rigorous philosophical analysis with empirical results and social-scientific tools from economics, political science, and related fields. Combining these insights is invaluable for understanding how markets, democracy, and other institutions may help or hinder the realization of important collective goals.

The study of PPE has led to a surge of interest in the relationship between markets and the liberal sociopolitical order, how informal institutions support or constrain formal institutions, and how diversity and dynamism can be harnessed for our collective benefit.  PPE’s core insights, along with its orientation toward examining how real institutions function, have provided a strong foundation for addressing a wide range of research questions.

A degree in PPE equips students to either continue on with more advanced academic pursuits, or immediately become a valuable contributor to a firm or organization. It offers analytic clarity and practical guidance, grounded in the pursuit of our social and political goals.

PPE gives you a set of interdisciplinary tools to think rigorously about important problems. How should morality shape the market? How do political institutions shape our political and economic options? How should we deal with deep disagreements? What is justice, and what institutions do we need to achieve it? What’s a good measure of a successful city or country?

A major in PPE is great for anyone interested in pursuing a career in law, the social sciences, politics, or business. It’s also a fantastic and flexible way of learning about the political world around you. 

What makes studying PPE at UB unique is that you will select a thematic concentration at the local, national, or global level. This will allow you to explore your own interests in PPE-related questions of political and economic organization.