College major combines fields

Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a new major in the College of Arts and Sciences, will give students an interdisciplinary approach to social problems. Commonly known as PPE, the major is being offered for the first time this year and will provide students with a background in the principles of social and political norms and values. The major requires a rigorous 16-course load, with seven courses from one of the three departments as a concentration field, four courses in each of the other two fields, and one capstone PPE seminar course. This year's capstone seminar, which is an integrated PPE course for seniors, will be Philosophy 475, "Philosophy of Politics and Economics." In addition, Philosophy 8, "The Social Contract," has been designed specifically for PPE students, and will be taught by faculty from the Philosophy, Economics, History and Political Science departments Paul Guyer, professor of Philosophy and coordinator for the new major, said the coursework will serve as "the ideal pre-law major," and prepare students well for jobs in public policy and public service, journalism, international affairs, as well as graduate study in any of the three departments. "The major will focus on lots of issues of justice and welfare, and suggest different considerations and different discourses," Guyer said. "Hopefully, it will successfully integrate the related disciplines." Graham Walker, the Political Science representative to the PPE major and assistant professor within the department, said the idea for the major emerged from "innovative thinking in the Philosophy Department." "The purpose, I think, was to create a major in which the natural overlap between the three disciplines can be explored in a type of intellectual synergy," he said. Walker explained that each of the departments has organized its own basic requirements. Those students in political science, however, have more latitude than others, he added. "Everything in politics has an economic and philosophical dimension, but not everything in economics and philosophy has a political dimension," he said. Guyer said "several dozen" people have already approached him about declaring the major in the spring, adding that he anticipates its popularity to grow rapidly. According to the major description, "the program allows undergraduates to study the variety of analytical frameworks that have been developed to interpret and justify political and economic structures."