Autumn PPE School
26th October – 29th October 2010 • University of London Union
An intensive four-day course for students in years 12-13 interested in the prestigious Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree. This event is an extended version of our popular PPE weekend, and will offer the most committed students an opportunity to explore all three subjects in greater depth and discuss their ideas with Oxford University tutors. Classes run from 10.30 to 4.30 each day.
This event is suitable for able and committed sixth form students who are anticipating an A grade in all AS/A Level subjects.
Feedback from the 2009 Autumn School:
‘A brilliant and rigorous introduction to PPE and a great opportunity to discuss and debate with like minded people’
‘I thought it was brilliant. I’ve never done an extra acdemic course before, so I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was’
‘Quality of teaching was outstanding – at no point did I lose interest’
‘Really good interaction between tutors and students – everyone was relaxed and friendly’
‘I found it a great insight into what the PPE course would be like’
‘I really enjoyed the course and it helped me with my interview preparation process’
‘Teaching encouraged individual thought in a way which the school environment can be lacking. It really helped me in my decision making process about which university degree to choose’
‘A good compromise between an intellectually challenging experience and an accessible introduction’
‘I really gained a sense of what PPE is all about, and I am definitely applying!’
Programme:
Day 1: Philosophy
What are people really saying when they tell you ‘It’s wrong to tell a lie’ or ‘You should respect your elders’? Are they tuned in to some external truth which some of us aren’t able to access, are they expressing their opinion, or are they really saying nothing more than ‘stealing – boo’ or ‘respect – yay’? This Philosophy session will tackle the issues of truth in morality – could there ever be any, and if there could be, where and how do we find it?
Through an in-depth study of one of the oldest and most influential schools of morality – virtue theory – we will assess the case for an independent moral truth and look at how this truth could be applied to different complex moral situations across different countries and cultures.
Day 2: Politics
Political Science and Theory are two of the most stimulating and exciting fields in academic study at university today. Political Science is the study of the theory, description, analysis and prediction of political behaviour, systems and institutions of the countries and regions of the modern world. Political Theory deals with the normative questions and assumptions that underlie these variables, including debates about the state, government, liberty, justice, rights, the law and authority. An understanding of both is crucial for any student aiming to study politics or any related discipline at university, and for anyone who values being an informed, knowledgeable citizen in the modern polity. Once students have an understanding of these key theoretical foundations they are able to look at one of the most interesting areas in the study of politics, Britain, in an entirely new way.
This course starts with an introduction to the concept of the political, where students will engage with a variety of thinkers and theories from Hannah Arendt to Bernard Crick, pushing the boundaries of what can be thought of as political space and action. The day then moves on to the key questions in Political Theory: What is Just? How can a society maximise equality and freedom? Is there a way to balance the two? We then move onto seminars on the origins of the state as well as the question of State decline, which will be augmented by expert advice and readings. The day concludes by applying the theory developed earlier in the British context. Students will look at a number of key trends, including the decline of class voting, the Presidentialisation of parliamentary government and the way that political campaigns have evolved. Fast paced and interactive, this seminar will leave students with a level of knowledge far in excess of that of most of their peers.
Day 3: Economics
The first half of the day will focus on topics in microeconomics. We will consider what role information plays within markets, and how asymmetric information between agents (e.g. producers and consumers) will influence market equlibriums. We will then apply this knowledge to the insurance market with particular reference to market failure in healthcare. We will also consider market failure with respect to public goods and local public goods.
The second half of the day with focus on topics in macroeconomics. This session will address models of economic growth and their policy responses to encourage development. We will then consider inflation and unemployment, policy responses to these economic measures and their relationship to one another. The day will offer students a unique chance to tackle economic problems and concepts in a depth similar to undergraduate study.
Day 4: Political Philosophy
The last day of the PPE Half Term School will focus on Political Philosophy. The subject for discussion will be rights – the history of rights in political philosophy, questioning where rights come from and asking what groups of beings can have rights – is it just adults? What about children? Animals? Foetuses?
Students will, through group work, discussion with tutors and plenary sessions, study in detail complex moral scenarios where rights are involved, and where we may or may not want to sacrifice rights in order to achieve some other good. When a terrorist knows where a ticking bomb is about to go off, which could potentially kill hundreds of thousands of people – do we torture him to get the answer, or is his right not to be tortured so important that the lives of innocent civilians may be sacrificed?
The afternoon session will give students the opportunity to discuss in depth the rights issues that they are most interested in – for example:
• Where do rights come from?
• Do rights vary across different cultures?
• Can we choose to ever give up our rights?
• Are rights something we automatically have, or something we have to earn?
This day is an excellent opportunity to students to study issues in-depth which are not only important in political philosophy, but which have profound and far-reaching implications for our society.
Book a place:
The fee for the four-day Autumn PPE School is £350 per student. There will be a total of 40 places available, on a first come first served basis. Fees bursaries will be available for students who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending.
The Autumn PPE School will be held at the University of London Union, with classes from 10.30 to 4.30 on each day. Please note that this is a non-residential course and accommodation must be arranged independently if required.