BA (Hons) Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Understanding our world with its financial crises, interminable wars, ecological catastrophes and cultural clashes may seem almost impossible. A degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Winchester gives you a strong start for not only understanding that world, but for stepping into it and enacting positive change. The particular concoction of disciplines that is Philosophy, Politics and Economics was first developed in Oxford in the 1920s in order to give future politicians and civil servants the range of skills they would need to govern modern Britain. Since then, those skills have proven themselves ideal for anyone who needs to engage with the modern state, from journalists and business leaders to those working for international Non-Governmental Organisations. Studying PPE gives you the chance to understand the development of the modern world, to discover how we can practically engage with the problems of today, and to reflect on the challenges of the future. The backbone of the programme is a three-year chronological sweep of Western philosophy, across which you trace the development of concepts such as democracy, freedom and responsibility from the Ancient Greek polis to the modern nation-state. We critically address the central notions that have developed in this tradition, such as the metaphysical doctrines of freedom, idealism and the existence of God; the political ideas of liberalism, democracy and property; and the economic notions of growth, laissez-faire capitalism and Marxism. Building on this philosophical backbone, a wide range of political and economic modules allow you to focus on the contemporary national and international situation. You have the chance to debate contentious political issues and to test the limits of established models and orthodoxies, all on an exciting course explicitly oriented towards how future global challenges demand that we learn to think differently. The programme includes the opportunity for real-world work placements in politics, field visits and face-to-face engagement with figures from the heights of British politics.