Oxford university initiated an interdisciplinary program in PPE in the 1920s. Since then, several dozen colleges and universities throughout the world have established diverse versions of PPE. However different, all share the aim of providing an interdisciplinary education of integrating historical and contemporary thought prominent in philosophy, political theory, and economics.

This course will introduce you to some leading thinkers of the past relevant to PPE (e.g., Adam Smith, Karl Marx), those of the more recent past (e.g., Keynes, Hayek, Friedman, and Rawls) as well as those of today (e.g., Sen, Kahneman, Hausman, Satz).

Methodological matters will be explored (e.g., rational choice, Prisoner Dilemmas, cost-benefit/cost-effectiveness, methodological individualism/holism) as well as normative matters that involve freedom, justice, and equality as these occur in political and legal contexts, and some of their implications for public policy.

Required Book: Hausman, McPherson, and Satz (eds)., Economic Analysis, Moral Philosophy, and Public Policy (3rd edition). [Available in the College Bookstore]

The Faculty has not yet approved a minor in PPE. If it does, this course will be approved as part of the minor. In any case, it counts as a first course in Philosophy.

Prerequisite: Freshmen require an AP score of 4 or 5 in ECON or to be taking an ECON course simultaneously with this course.

Note: Philosophy lives or dies on informed discussion. Therefore, I expect everyone to have read the assignment before class. While I'll introduce the assignment at the beginning, I'll be calling on you randomly to discuss the specifics of the assignment.