Do the Right Thing: Value Theory for PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics)

PPE researchers (those working at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and economics) think seriously about how to solve problems of social coordination. In doing so, they often draw tools from philosophical value theory: applying ideas about justice, the common good, ethics, and welfare in their efforts to reform or improve social institutions (e.g. an economy that maximizes utility, a constitution that enshrines rights). In order to do this work, scholars and practitioners of PPE need to develop familiarity with key concepts and distinctions from value theory. This course will familiarize participants with these tools and train them in their application. It will show how value theory can better equip us to respond in a reasoned and defensible way to hotly disputed questions of public policy in areas such as water rights allocation, migration, climate governance, and antitrust law.