PPE 110 WEALTH, POWER, AND THE PUBLIC GOOD
This course introduces students to some of the central ideas, arguments, and approaches that ground inquiry in the interdisciplinary field of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) – a program of study that offers an integrated approach to understanding historical and contemporary dynamics of wealth and power in relation to moral reflection. At the center of PPE is the examination of value and values (economic, political, and moral) and the ways that different systems of valuing are contested and enacted.
The PPE approach brings together intersecting and overlapping concerns relative to wealth, power, and the public purpose, and examines them as both practical and moral questions. As an interdisciplinary field, PPE is uniquely situated to ask normative questions in relation to political and economic practices, to consider the moral and political dimensions of economic activity, and to draw connections between issues that are of collective concern – locally, nationally, and globally. This introductory course draws from classic and contemporary texts in Philosophy, Political Science, and Economics. We will examine a range of perspectives on key concepts, institutions, and values that are fundamental to political and economic life, including: power, order, and the authority of the state; democracy and collective action; private property and the operation of markets; individual motivations and behavior in relation to commercial and social exchange; and the relation of values like freedom, equality, and justice to contested understandings of the public good.
Offered
Offered Spring.
Course Outcomes
- At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to: 1. Describe why it is beneficial to examine political and economic phenomena together and in relation to moral-ethical principles.