Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Concentration

Catalog Year: 2023-2024

Banner Code: LA-BA-PHIL-PPE

The Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy examines how philosophers have answered some of the most enduring questions about human existence, while exploring how those answers continue to inform our thinking in the present. Students gain a deeper understanding of philosophy’s relevance to key contemporary issues—such as global warming, social justice and the defense of human rights, or the relationship between science and religion. Students can use this major as preparation for professions such as law or government service, as a pathway to graduate work, or to complement other interests by taking a double major in philosophy and a related field of study.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.

Honors in the Major

Highly-qualified students may apply to the honors program in the major. Students can apply in their second semester as a junior, before they have completed 90 credits and should have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major. Eligible students should submit a brief letter of application, explaining why they wish to graduate with honors; their most up-to-date  transcript; one letter of recommendation from a member of the philosophy faculty; and one writing sample, a paper from one of the student’s courses in philosophy.

To receive honors in the major, students must complete 3 credits of PHIL 422 Honors Seminar (Mason Core) and 3 additional credits in any 400-level philosophy course or a philosophy graduate course that can be taken for undergraduate credit. To graduate with honors in philosophy, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: minimum 120

Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.

Concentration

Students interested in a degree in philosophy with a concentration will complete the following coursework.

Concentration in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE)

This is a high credit concentration for students interested in a program that explores the interdisciplinary connections between philosophy, political science, and economics.

Students pursuing this concentration, similar to all students pursuing a BA in philosophy, must complete at least 33 credits in philosophy earning a minimum grade of 2.00 in each course. No course may be used to fulfill more than one requirement. In addition to the specific courses listed below, other relevant courses may be applied to the requirements for this concentration with prior written approval of the undergraduate director.

Required Philosophy Courses

Logic  
PHIL 173 Logic and Critical Thinking 3
or PHIL 376 Symbolic Logic
History of Philosophy  
PHIL 301 History of Western Philosophy: Ancient 3
PHIL 303 History of Western Philosophy: Modern 3
Analytic Tradition  
Select one course from the following: 1 3
Issues in Analytic Philosophy  
American Philosophy: Pragmatism  
Philosophy, Race, and Gender 2  
Theories of Ethics  
Philosophy of Art 2  
Philosophy of the Social Sciences 2  
Ethics and Economics  
Philosophy of the Natural Sciences  
Theory of Knowledge  
Philosophy of Mind  
Theories of Decision  
Continental Tradition  
Select one course from the following: 1 3
Karl Marx's Social and Political Thought  
Nineteenth-Century Philosophy  
Twentieth-Century Continental Thought: Existentialism  
Twentieth-Century Continental Thought: Phenomenology  
Philosophy, Race, and Gender 2  
Recent Continental Philosophy  
Hermeneutic Philosophy  
Philosophy of Art  
Philosophy of the Social Sciences 2  
Total Credits 15
1

When the subject matter is appropriate and with the prior written approval of the undergraduate director, PHIL 391 Special Topics in Philosophy, PHIL 421 Seminar (Mason Core)PHIL 422 Honors Seminar (Mason Core), or PHIL 425 Independent Study may be used to fulfill this requirement.

2

Only with departmental approval.

Required Concentration Courses

Philosophy

Foundational  
Select one course from the following: 3
Modern Western Political Theory  
Modern Western Political Theory
Contemporary Western Political Theory  
Contemporary Western Political Theory
Electives  
Select two courses from the following: 6
Philosophy of Law  
Philosophy of the Social Sciences  
Ethics and Economics  
Culminating  
PHIL 353 Theories of Justice 3
Total Credits 12

Politics 

Foundational  
GOVT 133 Introduction to Comparative Politics (Mason Core) 3
Electives  
Select two courses from the following: 6
Public Law and the Judicial Process  
Legislative Behavior  
The American Presidency  
Political Parties and Campaigns  
Interest Groups, Lobbying, and the Political Process  
Classical Western Political Theory  
Government and Politics of Latin America  
Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa  
Government and Politics of Europe  
Government and Politics of Russia  
Islam and Politics  
Introduction to Environmental Policy  
Public Policy Making  
Public Policy Analysis  
Money, Markets and Economic Policy (Mason Core)  
Constitutional Interpretation  
Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties  
Law and Ethics of War  
Directed Readings and Research  
Culminating  
GOVT 467 How Washington Really Works 3
Total Credits 12

Economics

Foundational  
ECON 103 Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core) 3
ECON 104 Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (Mason Core) 3
Electives  
Choose one course from the following: 3
Intermediate Microeconomics  
Managerial Economics and Strategy  
Economic Problems and Public Policies  
Money and Banking  
Intermediate Macroeconomics  
Economics of Labor  
Public Finance  
Introduction to Econometrics  
Economics of Developing Areas (Mason Core)  
Topics in Economic History  
International Economics  
Austrian Economics  
Public Choice  
Game Theory and Economics of Institutions  
Design and Analysis of Experiments  
The Development of Economic Thought  
Smithian Political Economy I  
Special Topics in Economics  
Culminating  
ECON 460 Senior Seminar in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics 3
Total Credits 12

Writing-Intensive Requirement

The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. All senior seminars (PHIL 421 Seminar (Mason Core), PHIL 422 Honors Seminar (Mason Core)) in philosophy are writing intensive. Philosophy majors should consult the undergraduate director for other courses that can be taken to fulfill this requirement.

Upper Level Requirement

Students seeking a bachelor’s degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation requirements.

Additional Electives

Any remaining credits may be completed with elective courses to bring the degree total to 120.

College Level Requirements for the BA Degree

In addition to the Mason Core program, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the coursework below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill a college level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements (Mason Core requirements or requirements for the major).

Philosophy or Religious Studies
Select 3 credits from the following: 3
 
 
1

Note that the following courses may not be used to fulfill this requirement:

  • PHIL 323 Classical Western Political Theory 
  • PHIL 324 Modern Western Political Theory 
  • PHIL 327 Contemporary Western Political Theory 
  • PHIL 393 Humanities College to Career 
  • PHIL 460 Senior Seminar in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics


Additionally, PHIL 253RELI 235RELI 333, and RELI 339 cannot be used to fulfill both the philosophy/religious studies requirement and the Mason Core literature requirement.

Social and Behavioral Sciences
Select 3 credits of social and behavioral sciences from the following (additional to the Mason Core social and behavioral sciences requirement) 1 3
ANTH  
CRIM  
ECON  
GOVT  
HIST 2  
LING  
PSYC  
SOCI  
Or choose from the following GGS courses:  
Major World Regions (Mason Core)  
Human Geography (Mason Core)  
Introduction to Geoinformation Technologies  
Political Geography (Mason Core)  
Geography of Resource Conservation (Mason Core)  
GGS 304
Population Geography (Mason Core)  
GGS 305
Economic Geography  
Urban Geography  
Geography of the United States  
Geography of Latin America  
Geography of Europe  
Geography of North Africa and the Middle East  
Geography of Eastern Europe and Russia  
Urban Planning  
Geography of Virginia  
1

The two courses used to fulfill the combined college and Mason Core requirements must be from different disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. 

2

HIST 100 and HIST 125 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.

Foreign Language
Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language, fulfilled by: 1  
 
Or achieving a satisfactory score on an approved proficiency test
 
Or completing the following ASL three course sequence:
 
EDSE 115
American Sign Language (ASL) I  
EDSE 116
American Sign Language (ASL) II  
EDSE 219
American Sign Language (ASL) III  
1

Students who are already proficient in a second language may be eligible for a waiver of this requirement. Additional information on waivers can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

Non-Western Culture

Select 3 credits of an approved course in the study of a non-Western culture (additional to the Mason Core requirement in global understanding)

Select 3 credits (additional to Mason Core Global Understanding requirement) 1  
     
ANTH 114 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 300 Civilizations 3
ANTH 302 Peoples and Cultures of Latin America (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 307 Ancient Mesoamerica (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 308 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 309 Peoples and Cultures of India (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 313 Myth, Magic, and Mind (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 314 Zombies 3
ANTH 317 East Asian Cultures 3
ANTH 330 Peoples and Cultures of Selected Regions: Non-Western 3
ANTH 332 Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Globalization (Mason Core) 3
ANTH 381 Medical Anthropology 3
ANTH 396 Issues in Anthropology: Social Sciences (Mason Core) 3
ARAB 360 Topics in Arabic Cultural Production 3
ARAB 420 Survey of Arabic Literature 3
ARAB 440 Topics in Arabic Religious Thought and Texts (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 203 Survey of Asian Art (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 204 Survey of Latin American Art (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 206 Survey of African Art (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 318 Art and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt 3
ARTH 319 Art and Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 320 Art of the Islamic World (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 382 Arts of India (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 383 Arts of Southeast Asia (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 384 Arts of China (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 385 Arts of Japan (Mason Core) 3
ARTH 482 RS: Advanced Studies in Asian Art 3
CHIN 318 Introduction to Classical Chinese (Mason Core) 3
CHIN 320 Contemporary Chinese Film 3
CHIN 325 Major Chinese Writers (Mason Core) 3
CHIN 470 Special Topics in Chinese Studies 3
DANC 118 Global Dance Perspectives I (Mason Core) 3
ECON 361 Economic Development of Latin America (Mason Core) 3
ECON 362 African Economic Development (Mason Core) 3
FREN 454 Topics in Caribbean Francophone Literature and Culture 3
GGS 101 Major World Regions (Mason Core) 3
GGS 316 Geography of Latin America 3
GGS 317 Geography of China (Mason Core) 3
GGS 325 Geography of North Africa and the Middle East 3
GGS 399 Select Topics in GGS 3
GOVT 332 Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa 3
GOVT 333 Government and Politics of Asia 3
GOVT 338 Government and Politics of Russia 3
GOVT 340 Central Asian Politics 3
GOVT 341 Chinese Foreign Policy 3
GOVT 345 Islam and Politics 3
GOVT 433 Political Economy of East Asia 3
HIST 251 Survey of East Asian History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 252 Survey of East Asian History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 261 Survey of African History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 262 Survey of African History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 271 Survey of Latin American History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 272 Survey of Latin American History (Mason Core) 3
HIST 281 Survey of Middle Eastern Civilization (Mason Core) 3
HIST 282 Survey of Middle Eastern Civilization (Mason Core) 3
HIST 326 Stalinism 3
HIST 327 The Soviet Union and Russia Since World War II 3
HIST 328 Rise of Russia (Mason Core) 3
HIST 329 Modern Russia and the Soviet Union (Mason Core) 3
HIST 353 History of Traditional China 3
HIST 354 Modern China (Mason Core) 3
HIST 356 Modern Japan (Mason Core) 3
HIST 357 Postwar Japan (Mason Core) 3
HIST 358 Post-1949 China (Mason Core) 3
HIST 360 History of South Africa (Mason Core) 3
HIST 364 Revolution and Radical Politics in Latin America (Mason Core) 3
HIST 365 Conquest and Colonization in Latin America (Mason Core) 3
HIST 366 Comparative Slavery 3
HIST 387 Topics in Global History (Mason Core) 3-6
HIST 461 Arab-Israeli Conflict 3
HIST 462 Women in Islamic Society (Mason Core) 3
HIST 465 The Middle East in the 20th Century 3
JAPA 310 Japanese Culture in a Global World (Mason Core) 3
JAPA 340 Topics in Japanese Literature (Mason Core) 3
JAPA 380 Japan in Motion 3
KORE 300 Korean Culture and Society 3
KORE 320 Korean Popular Culture in a Global World 3
KORE 385 Introduction to Korean Linguistics 3
MUSI 103 Musics of the World (Mason Core) 3
RELI 211 Introduction to Religions of the "West" (Mason Core) 3
RELI 212 Introduction to Religions of Asia (Mason Core) 3
RELI 312 Islam 3
RELI 313 Hinduism (Mason Core) 3
RELI 314 Chinese Philosophies and Religious Traditions 3
RELI 315 Buddhism (Mason Core) 3
RELI 317 Daoism 3
RELI 318 Korean Philosophy and Religions 3
RELI 338 Qur'an and Hadith 3
RELI 342 Comparative Study of Mysticism 3
RELI 344 Muhammad: Life and Legacy 3
RELI 358 Islamic Thought (Mason Core) 3
RELI 367 Islamic Law, Society, and Ethics 3
RELI 368 Islam, Democracy, and Human Rights 3
RELI 490 Comparative Study of Religions (Mason Core) 3
RUSS 353 Russian Civilization (Mason Core) 3
RUSS 354 Contemporary Post-Soviet Life (Mason Core) 3
WMST 407 Transnational Sexualities 3
1

A course used to fulfill the Mason Core global understanding requirement may not be simultaneously used to satisfy this college-level requirement. A course used to fulfill this requirement may be used simultaneously to fulfill any other requirements (Mason Core requirements, college-level requirements, or requirements for the major). Additional information on waivers can be found at the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs.

Mason Core

Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed above. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.

Students who have completed the following credentials are eligible for a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower level) requirement categories. The Integration category (upper level) is not waived under this policy. See Admissions for more information. 

  • VCCS Uniform Certificate of General Studies
  • VCCS or Richard Bland Associate of Science (A.S.), Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.), or Associate of Fine Arts (A.F.A.)
Foundation Requirements  
Written Communication (ENGH 101) 3
Oral Communication 3
Quantitative Reasoning 3
Information Technology and Computing 3
Exploration Requirements  
Arts 3
Global History 3
Global Understanding 3
Literature 3
Natural Science 7
Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
Integration Requirements  
Written Communications (ENGH 302) 3
Writing-Intensive 1 3
Synthesis/Capstone 2 3
Total Credits 40
1

Most programs include the writing-intensive course designated for the major as part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for Mason Core.

2

Minimum 3 credits required.