
02/17/2017
The Political Economy of Development
The new Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program at George Mason University allows undergraduates to pursue topics in the intersection of philosophy, political science, and economics.
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The undergraduate Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program at George Mason University allows students to pursue topics in the intersection of philosophy, political science, and economics. The PPE brand was established at Oxford almost a century ago. In the US there are still fewer than a dozen such programs, though interest is rising. Mason’s program – which is offered jointly by the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Public and International Affairs, and the Department of Economics – is the first in the metro DC area. The three PPE disciplines complement each other nicely. Philosophy brings to the program specific analytic and argumentative practices as well a 2,500-year history of discussion about the nature of rationality, well-being, and justice; political science investigates political ideas, processes, institutions, and actions in national and international settings; and economics brings an understanding of the dynamics of competition and cooperation as well as the advantages and disadvantages of alternative economic systems. Students in Mason’s PPE program embark on an ambitious course of study. After allowing students to familiarize themselves with each of the three disciplines, the program is centered around a series of courses that were designed or repurposed to cover topics in the intersection of philosophy, political science, and economics, and which adopt a robustly interdisciplinary approach. The program culminates in a capstone course that integrates insights from the entire program.
Operating as usual
The Political Economy of Development
Mason PPE
Star Wars feat. Jean-Paul Sartre (with English subtitles).
SW with a French existentialist twist. Almost all the subtitles (except for little things like "Despair!" and "I die!" and a few others) are actually quotes ...
This course will satisfy the philosophy-of-science requirement for PPE students. It is also cross-listed as ECON 496-008.
COURSE ANNOUNCEMENT: PHILOSOPHY OF ECONOMICS (SPRING 2016)
Prof. Erik Angner (Philosophy, Economics, and Public Policy)
This course offers an overview of epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical problems that arise in economic theory and practice, and explores a number of solutions. Throughout, philosophical issues will be illustrated by and analysed in the context of concrete cases drawn from contemporary economics, the history of economic ideas, and actual economic events. Topics to be covered include: explanations in economics; rationality; game theory; the use of models, idealization, and abstraction; economic measurement; experiments in economics; ethics, welfare, and justice; and behavioral economics and the nudge agenda. The course is open to anyone with an interest in economic theory and practice and/or philosophy of science.
Any questions can be addressed to the instructor via email [email protected]
The inaugural event of the PPE Society will be held Friday January 8 in Washington, DC.
Welcome to the home page for The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society, an international organization. The PPE society’s mission is: to encourage the interaction and cross-fertilization of three intellectual disciplines that are, in their history, deeply intertwined and that now, and going f…
Announcing a reading group in philosophical economics starting on Friday. The group is primarily aimed at graduate students, but PPE students are more than welcome to participate.
This Fall, Prof. Erik Angner will direct an inaugural reading group in philosophical economics. The reading group will cover issues in the foundations of behavioral and experimental economics and the study of spontaneous order. The reading group is primarily aimed at graduate students in philosophy…
Wednesday this week: Philosophy Undergraduate Welcome reception. PPE students more than welcome, duh.
Come join us to hear about our Fall courses and new opportunities for Philosophy majors. Meet new and returning Philosophy students and faculty. Enjoy free food!
Why bother with economics? Here's one professor's answer.
Jodi N. Beggs explains why is it so hard for average people to understand the economy, part of the WE THE ECONOMY Series. Watch more at www.wetheeconomy.com…
PPE faculty member Alex Tabarrok profiled at Ozy.
In the midst of a major libertarian moment, Alex Tabarrok is guiding some of the biggest policy discussions around.
Of possible interest.
The Center for Global Education (CGE) is George Mason University’s hub for study-abroad. CGE provides a wide range of international study, research, service, and leadership opportunities to George Mason students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. Each year, CGE sends several hundred stud…
That 'Useless' Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech's Hottest Ticket
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We can't believe the class of 2019 is already here. Welcome to campus! #GMU19 #Mason19
Right now! http://culturalstudies.gmu.edu/events/5245
You are welcome to participate in a symposium sponsored by the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy (IPPP) at George Mason University. Below is a summary of what will be discussed:The goal of environmental conservation has traditionally been understood in terms of the preservation of the natu…
Meet Lindsey Thomas, the new academic advisor for Philosophy.
I am the new Academic Advisor for Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, and Religious Studies. Prior to coming to Mason I received my B.A. in Sociology from NC State and M. Ed from the University of South Carolina in Higher Education and Student Affairs. My passion is working with students as they di…
Not to be missed: PPE faculty Tyler Cowen in conversation with Peter Thiel, Jeffrey Sachs, and Luigi Zingales.
Free discussion series kicks off with PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel.
Interested in Mason's new PPE degree? Check out the requirements here.
Mason's PPE program is a concentration, meaning that it is something students pursue within the context of a traditional major. There are four options: the BA in Philosophy, the BA in Government and International Politics, the BA in Economics, and the BS in Economics.
If you've been following the Greek negotiations, you know that the power and limits of game theory has been part of the conversation. Here's the best analysis yet of what's going on.
The Greek Tragedy is a "thing." And lately it has reemerged. The question at the heart of this post is how one should bargain when between a rock and hard place.[0] This point was raised and disc...
Congrats to the Roosevelt Institute and PPE student Ryan Thornton for landing a $750,000 MacArthur Foundation grant.
Mason's chapter of The Roosevelt Institute was just selected as a 2015 MacArthur Foundation award winner for “Creative and Effective Institutions” ...
Tomorrow, on the Fairfax campus.
When most people think of prison gangs, they think of chaos and violence. But do prison gangs actually form to create order among outlaws, producing alternative governance institutions to facilitate illegal activity?
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Hope you'll have a good break.
Join us for the second PPE Career Seminar on December 3! This event is free and open to all Mason students. Please RSVP using the link below.
Read more about the PPE Program here. Please direct any questions to PPE Director Erik Angner via email [email protected].
Philosophy/PPE majors: You are encouraged to choose a mentor.
Something new in the Philosophy Department: Philosophy majors and minors are encouraged to choose a member of our faculty as a mentor. The mentor is someone with whom you can talk about choosing courses, planning your future, or just about philosophy. If you haven't received the email we sent, please get in touch with Prof. Jones or me (Prof. Kinnaman).
Hi everyone: You're invited to attend the Philosophy Undergraduate Welcome Reception Tuesday (Sept. 9) in the Hub (SUB II) 4, from 5:15 pm to 7:15 pm. Come join us to hear about our Fall courses and new opportunities for Philosophy majors. Meet new and returning Philosophy students and faculty. Enjoy free food!
Come join us to hear about our Fall courses and new opportunities for Philosophy majors. Meet new and returning Philosophy students and faculty. Enjoy free food!
Angner Gives Inaugural “60 Seconds” Interview to...
"Teaching the text multiple times before it published allowed me to anticipate readers’ questions and other reactions and to calibrate the presentation accordingly."
Exciting new book from Mason PPE faculty member Dr. Neera K. Badhwar.
This book offers a new argument for the ancient claim that well-being as the highest prudential good -- eudaimonia -- consists of happiness in a virtuous life. The argument takes into account recent work on happiness, well-being, and virtue, and defends a neo-Aristotelian conception of virtue as ...
So good to see the George Mason University Class of 2018 beginning to trickle in. Welcome! #Mason2018 #GMU2018
PPE themes in the news following David Brat's win here in Virginia.
There's a lot you can learn about David Brat's beliefs by reading his academic research.
Actually, George Mason is one of the places where a variety of theoretical and methodological approaches get a fair shake.
Note: The following open letter on economics education reform represents the joint effort of the members of the International Student Initiative for Pluralist Economics, of which this blogger is a founding member. It is not only the world economy t...
"It's important to know why we're doing what we're doing," says Ingrid Marchal-Gérez, a second-year M.B.A. who enrolled in Nobel Thinking to balance her finance and marketing classes. "You can start to understand what idea can have an impact, and how to communicate an idea."
The philosophy department is invading the M.B.A. program—at least at a handful of schools where the legacy of the global financial crisis has sparked efforts to train business students to think beyond the bottom line.
"[The liberal arts] are 'phenomenally important,' he said, especially when you combine them with other disciplines. 'Ten years ago behavioral economics was rarely referenced. But [then] you apply social science to economics and suddenly there’s this whole new field. I think a lot about how the most interesting things are happening at the intersection of two fields. To pursue that, you need expertise in both fields. You have to understand economics and psychology or statistics and physics [and] bring them together. You need some people who are holistic thinkers and have liberal arts backgrounds and some who are deep functional experts. Building that balance is hard, but that’s where you end up building great societies, great organizations.'"
New graduates may be intrigued by a hiring guru’s advice.
Think about it.
If there's a possible future in which you're applying for graduate school, you don't want to miss this.
Interested in going to grad school? Make sure you have your ducks in a row before it's too late. This information session will explore what you need to apply to graduate school in any of the PPE disciplines: philosophy, political science, and economics.
Mason Photos
International Week Flag Parade at the North Plaza at the Fairfax Campus. Photo by Alexis Glenn/Creative Services
Also scheduled for Fall: Theories of Decision (PHIL 411), taught by Prof. Angner.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.
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