PPE: Advanced Interdisciplinary Topics
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics are academic disciplines united by their focus on human decisions, wellbeing, and governance. Rather than studying these three academic disciplines separately, a key underlying principle of PPE at Warwick is the importance of bridging them to achieve a fuller, more rounded, and more nuanced understanding of many contemporary issues, ranging from inequality and fairness to democracy, conflict, migration, and climate change.
This core module will provide you with the opportunity to study specific topics with an eye toward understanding the key similarities and differences in how the three disciplines seek to find answers to similar questions. In addition, the module will help you develop a better understanding of the epistemological, ethical, and practical questions related to the process of designing and conducting empirical research in the social sciences. Taught by a team drawn from three departments – Economics, Politics and International Studies, and Philosophy – this module therefore provides an introduction to the main analytical and methodological perspectives of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and applies them to specific issues of contemporary relevance.
The module begins with a survey of key approaches and challenges to social science inquiry. We explore methodological issues, such as the relationship between normative principles and empirical facts, as well as advantages and challenges of qualitative and quantitative approaches to understanding social phenomena. The second term aims to bring together theory, policy and practice. By the end of the module, you will have explored and discussed contemporary topics from the perspectives of the three disciplines, as well as the different ways to analyse and generate novel insights.
Each year, the module will cover a small number of specific topics. Our main criteria for selecting annual topics include scope for the topic to provide a context in which, through application, you can begin to develop your understanding of key analytical approaches and concepts; importance of the topic within the three disciplines and contemporary debates; and policy relevance of the topic. The selection will be drawn from research specialisms within the teaching fields of the three departments and will vary to reflect staff interests and expertise as well as the changing topics of contemporary concern for policymakers.
This module is compulsory for students taking the MA in PPE.
