Philosophy, Politics and Economics major
The study of politics had its origins in philosophy; and the study of political economy, which we now call economics, had its origins in both philosophy and politics. The philosophers John Locke and David Hume contributed to monetary theory and economic thinking; the commonly acknowledged founder of economics, Adam Smith, was a moral philosopher; and John Stuart Mill contributed to philosophy, politics and economics in roughly equal measure. Welfare economics grew out of philosophical reflection of Sidgwick and Pigou, and, more recently, the intersection between philosophy, politics and economics featured in the work of thinkers like John Rawls and F.A. Hayek. UWA's Philosophy, Politics and Economics double major is a challenging and rigorous program that allows students to consider social and political life through the multidisciplinary perspectives provided by philosophy, politics and economics.
Outcomes
Students are able to (1) Integrate Philosophical, Political and Economic Ideas.; (2) independently construct arguments for:
(a) philosophical positions
(b) political positions
(c) economic positions; (3) understand and apply the methods of:
(a) contemporary philosophy
(b) contemporary politics
(c) contemporary economics.; (4) identify and evaluate assumptions underpinning philosophical, political and/or economic viewpoints on social and legal topics; and (5) demonstrate sound research skills and written and oral communication skills.
Degree-specific major
Philosophy, Politics and Economics can only be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:
BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Overview of unit sequence
Philosophy, Politics and Economics is a degree-specific double major comprising:
- three Level 1 units
- five Level 2 units
- six Level 3 units
- one Level 3 complementary unit
- two Level 4 complementary units
- one Level 5 complementary unit
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; SS = summer teaching period; N/A = not available in 2020; NS = non-standard teaching period |
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2021 or 2022.
This major is available only from 2019 onward, even though some of its units may be available in 2018. The major has a non-conventional structure: three level 1 units (one each from Philosophy, Politics, and Economics); five level 2 units (two each from Philosophy and Economics, and one from Politics); six level 3 units (two each from Philosophy and Politics, one from Economics, and a capstone unit); and four complementary units (two from Law, one from Politics, and one from Economics).
Level 1
Take all units (18 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | ECON1101 | Microeconomics: Prices and Markets | |
| S1, SS | PHIL1002 | Introduction to Critical Thinking |
|
| S1 | POLS1101 | The Liberal Democratic State |
Take the following complementary unit:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | LAWS1111 | Law, Conflict and Change |
Level 2
Take all units (30 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ECON2105 | Rise of the Global Economy |
|
| S1, SS | ECON2233 | Microeconomics: Policy and Applications |
|
| S2 | PHIL2001 | Bioethics |
|
| S2 | PHIL2007 | Knowledge and the Justification of Belief |
|
| S1 | POLS2220 | Foundations of Global Political Economy |
|
Take all complementary units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | LAWS2224 | Evolution of Human Rights |
|
| S1 | PPHE2211 | History of Political Ideas |
|
Level 3
Take all units (12 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ECON3395 | Economic Policy |
|
| N/A | INTG3001 | Integrating Philosophy, Politics and Economics |
|
Take the following complementary unit:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | ECON3310 | History of Economic Ideas |
|
Philosophy—take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | PHIL3002 | Aesthetics |
|
| S1 | PHIL3003 | Moral Theory | |
| S2 | PHIL3005 | Continental Philosophy: The Origin and Influence of Phenomenology |
|
| N/A | PHIL3008 | What to Do? How to Make Rational Decisions under Uncertainty |
|
Politics—take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unit name | unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2, NS | ASIA3005 | Democratisation in Asia |
|
| S2 | POLS3335 | Social Movements and the Politics of Change |
|
| N/A | POLS3342 | Global Environmental Politics |
|
| N/A | PPHE3327 | Contemporary Political Theory |
|
Choosing your degree-specific major
You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.
To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .
To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.
The following example illustrates how the Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course .
There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .