Brown's Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics, a new hub for research, teaching and debate, is blending old and new academic traditions to confront complex social problems facing the world in the 21st century.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - Can a hundred-year-old academic tradition offer important perspective on some of the 21st century's most pressing problems? Yes, it can, say leaders at Brown University's new Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
The center, two months into its inaugural academic year, will convene leading experts from across the humanities and social sciences for dynamic conversations, joint research projects, unique courses and a variety of public events aimed at understanding and solving problems that weigh heavily on Americans' minds - including the uncertain future of the country's democratic system, global supply-chain troubles and deep political polarization.
Brown's PPE Center builds on an academic tradition that began at Oxford University in the 1920s. For a century, Oxford's degree program in philosophy, politics and economics has attracted students who wish to develop a holistic understanding of how the world's political and economic systems work, while also honing analytical and logical thinking skills through the study of philosophy. Many of the program's graduates have proceeded to become heads of state, activists and other influential leaders.
Brown Provost Richard M. Locke said that PPE's cross-disciplinary approach to teaching, learning and research remains ideal for unlocking solutions to complex problems and understanding how global societies can thrive.
"Subjects such as racial inequality, the future of democracy and political polarization don't fall into neat disciplinary boundaries - to address them requires a wide variety of methods and approaches," Locke said. "The Center for Philosophy, Politics and Economics is uniquely situated to tackle these complicated and persistent issues, because it is designed to enable collaboration between humanists and social scientists with diverse backgrounds and subject expertise. And because its home is at Brown - where our approach is already highly collaborative - it is destined to become a leading hub for PPE study and research."
