Rishi Gurjar, Week 12: The PPE
Oxford University has a degree called Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE). People with the degree make up an “astonishing proportion of Britain’s elite” according to The Guardian. Getting the degree immediately boosts graduates’ power and it's an easy ride into the ruling class. Riz Ahmed, David Cameron, Bill Clinton, Elena Kagan, Imran Khan, Rachel Maddow, and Rupert Murdoch all share one thing in common: they have graduated through the PPE program offered at Oxford University.
Despite its apparent acclaim, the degree has recently been called “elitist, impractical, inadequate.” The curriculum doesn’t deal with contemporary issues and often focuses on the past. There is a lot one can learn from the past, but if your entire education is based on history, how can you make modern decisions, especially if you have a high probability of being in charge of public institutions? People also argue that an Oxford PPE degree—a golden ticket into every major institution in the world—will fail at some point. It has been in charge of the world since 1920 yet the momentum just seems to grow. In fact, applications “rose by 28% between 2007 and 2015.”
The degree is a symbol of pure power. A nobody with many generations of ancestors that never went past their family farm could rise directly to the ranks of the political and economic elite of the world in less than one generation. That is close to impossible anywhere else (unless a revolutionary product or an industry-changing company is created). Unfortunately, this is a small minority of the students in the program, most are already children of the elite looking to continue the family legacy. The three years of education offered open students up to alumni associations, a plethora of high-network connections, and a degree that will open the door of institutions that govern the world.
In a world where equal access and opportunity is increasingly promoted, should the Oxford PPE degree continue to be taught?
I wonder if any Americans were able to apply to take that class as international students and if that degree gave them a leg-up on political power here in the United States as well. Obviously, if this degree is not practical and really effective in training people to become good leaders and a generation of elites, it should not continue to be taught. However, I do think that having a specific degree that teaches people to become a part of the elite is not necessarily the worst idea as long as it is not highly biased and does not prioritize those already connected to the elite through their bloodline.
ReplyDeleteHey Rishi, I think it's really interesting how Oxford merged three completely different majors into one program and it seems like something that colleges in the United States should consider doing. If so many in that program already come from a rich ancestry in Britain, it makes me wonder if a lot of the prestige of the program comes less from the teachings itself or the people it promotes. Either way, I don't think that the program should be shut down because of its flaws. If the university truly does provide the opportunity of drastic social upward mobility, I think with some alterations to the course and admissions process, it could prove to be an extremely beneficial institution that addresses the aforementioned concerns.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi, I find it astonishing that there is a degree that can transform someone’s life so much in just three years. When I think about college degrees that give people power I think about doctors and law degrees. However, in both cases, students have to study for almost ten years to prove their proficiency and get that job that gives them prestige. What I do not understand is how the PPE degree, with only 3 years of learning, can place someone farther in society than doctors and lawyers?
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! Wow, I did not know about the power of a specific educational degree on your social status, and it seems like a totally powerful item to transform one's life! I would typically think of law, doctorate, and CS degrees as game-changing in today's world, but in the UK, having a degree in Physics, Politics, and Economics seems to be the case. But I still wonder whether it is the degree specifically that leads someone to all these opportunities, or the benefits/experiences that come with it. Regardless, to answer your question, although one degree consolidating elitist power is not theoretically great, it is a degree nonetheless, and one that spreads opportunity. For the section of its class not from elite families, it is still a game-changing degree.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! Is PPE offered at other schools, such as the universities in the US? Would people in the US gain as much prominence if they graduated with the degree? After reading your blog, it is quite clear that the degree is not too useful in regard to the modern political affairs. So why exactly does graduating with the degree bring one to such high status? I agree with you in the the system does seem flawed and unjust.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! The entire system I believe, just like you mentioned is most certainly flawed. Why would a degree that is not as useful as others bring more prestige to a person who had taken that degree? That doesn't seem to make sense to me in any way or form and it just gets me thinking of how hard it is to pick a degree you do feel like getting after college because frankly, with this flawed system, it's mainly the questions of, do you want to go into something that you'll enjoy? or something that will give you prestige?
ReplyDeleteHello Rishi,
ReplyDeleteEducation is always adapting as fields advance and expand on the information they start with. It is difficult especially for such intricate fields like economics, philosophy, and politics to maintain an accurate representation of our current reality. It is even more difficult to realize when knowledge can become outdated. My parents learned Calculus in College and found it increasingly difficult. Now students can take a Calculus course as early as sophomore or even freshman year in some schools. In a couple decades, math may become so advanced that Calculus must be taught in middle school to reduce the time it takes children to learn all the math they need in order to advance a field in STEM. Children will take longer to reach the moment where the need to cram information will be masked by the need to actually apply that information. Schools can never fully prepare students for that moment.
Hi Rishi, you bring up a good point. People who hold office should have other educational knowledge besides history, especially now. The world has changed so much since the pandemic. Furthermore, social justice and equity are being discussed at every level. Learning about historic events definitely helps identify and prevent some issues, but If people are going to become leaders, it makes sense that they should be educated to deal with more present problems instead of completely focusing on and analyzing the past.
ReplyDeleteHi Rishi! The privileges that this degree claims to earn people do seem appealing– especially for people born and provided with less opportunities from their families. If the curriculum is mostly centered around studying the past, I wonder how fulfilling studying this field would be.
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