Big Questions. Better Conversations. Broader Perspectives.
Born at Oxford in 1920 as a modern response to classical education, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) is rooted in the urgent question of how societies are built, governed, and justified. PPE challenges the idealist to confront questions of effectiveness and feasibility—Does this policy work? Can it succeed politically?—and pushes the pragmatist to grapple with deeper values: Is it just? What trade-offs are acceptable? What should we ultimately aim for?
At Florida State University, PPE is more than a 15-credit minor—it’s a community of students and faculty committed to asking important questions about human life, cooperation, and justice. We draw from the tools of philosophy, political science, and economics to make sense of the world—and to imagine how it could be better.
Our students join a growing movement inspired by thinkers like Aristotle, Adam Smith, John Locke, Alexis de Tocqueville, Friedrich Hayek, James Buchanan, and Elinor Ostrom—people who wrestled with the hard questions of freedom, power, order, and flourishing.
Through courses, speaker events, book clubs, and spirited hallway debates, PPE students at FSU develop a habit of thinking carefully, reasoning across disciplines, and engaging deeply with others. Whether or not you minor in PPE, there’s a place for you in the conversation.
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