Philosophy and Economics

Philosophy and economics is a combination that connects two disciplines with a long shared history and a set of complementary concerns about rationality, value, choice, and the organisation of social life. Philosophy has been central to Western intellectual life for over two millennia, and it provides the tools for rigorous argument, conceptual analysis, and the critical examination of foundations that economics, at its best, also demands. Economics provides the formal frameworks and empirical methods for studying how individuals and communities make choices about resources, how markets aggregate those choices, and what determines the distribution of wealth and welfare.

Together, the two disciplines create a particularly powerful analytical education.

At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year, full-time programme takes philosophy seriously as a foundation for engaging with economic theory and its implications. You will study the major areas of philosophy, including epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, and the philosophy of mind and science, alongside a rigorous grounding in microeconomics, macroeconomics, and quantitative methods. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in another country and to encounter both philosophy and economics from a different academic tradition.

Edinburgh's research strengths in both disciplines make it an exceptional environment for this kind of interdisciplinary education.

Graduates from philosophy and economics degrees work in finance, economic consulting, the civil service, public policy, law, international organisations, and academia. The combination of rigorous philosophical training with economic analytical skills is particularly valued in roles that require evaluating arguments, thinking carefully about normative questions, and understanding both the technical and ethical dimensions of economic policy. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in economics, philosophy, law, or public policy, building specialist expertise for research or senior professional careers.