Philosophy and Economics

Philosophy

Philosophy has been at the core of Western intellectual life for at least 2,500 years. It is central to our understanding of the world and our interaction with it.

Philosophy gives you the skills to think about great philosophical questions in a clear and systematic way.

While there are different approaches that philosophers have taken, the study of philosophy focuses on:

• argument

• critical enquiry

• rigour in reasoning

• clarity of expression, including making important distinctions

Economics

Economics is the study of the incentives that affect decisions made by:

• individuals

• businesses

• governments

• societies

Economists analyse the macroeconomic results of those decisions, for example:

• economic fluctuations

• growth

• unemployment

• crises

Studying Philosophy and Economics

Studying philosophy and economics will equip you with the skills to participate in philosophical and economic debates.

You will gain the knowledge to understand philosophical issues and the quantitative skills for answering economic questions.

Programme benefits

• Philosophy has been taught at the University since its foundation in 1583. Edinburgh was the centre of the Scottish Enlightenment and has a distinguished place in the history of philosophy.

• You will have a choice of more than 40 option courses in Years 3 and 4 in all the main branches of philosophy.

• Our world-leading academics are especially strong in:

• philosophy of mind and cognition, language and science

• ethics

• epistemology

• history of philosophy

• The University has a strong historic connection to the subject, with Adam Ferguson and Sir William Hamilton among its former students.

• Edinburgh has one of the UK’s largest philosophy departments and the Philosophy Society attracts high-profile speakers.

• Our programme covers the basics of Western philosophy and offers you the opportunity to specialise in your areas of interest.**