Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Our PPE MA programme addresses the challenges faced by an increasingly globalised and complex world society. In today’s world, real problems are too complex to be understood from the angle of individual academic disciplines. Thus, our programme conveys a systematic understanding of how economics and politics are embedded in social, political, and cultural affairs, and creates an awareness of their philosophical and ethical implications. The programme focuses on institutions and organisations as hubs in an interconnected world. It rests on three conceptual pillars: Global Economic Development, Global Governance, and Philosophy and Society.The first key area, Global Economic Developments, addresses areas such as international political economy within current social developments, the international balance of power, and economic influences. It also includes courses on topics such as climate, environment, and poverty. Global Governance covers a full range of issues relating to political control, control failure and conflict at global, national and local levels. In the third key area Philosophy and Society, the focus is on philosophy and politics in the global society and on questions concerning global justice, the social contract, and political philosophy, as well as on philosophy of science.On a more concrete level, the programme addresses questions such as the following: How do institutions and organisations shape economic and political processes? What is the role of transnational institutions and organisations in economic and political change? Which functions can informal and social networks fulfil in this context? How can the social contract of national communities be translated into wider international circumstances? Which specific conditions have enabled Germany to handle the recent financial and economic crisis relatively well?