The PPE Reading List

Although you don't have to have formally studied philosophy, politics, or economics in order to apply to Oxford for PPE, having decent knowledge of each subject is a great way to demonstrate your interest in and passion for them. To that end, we have compiled a list of some of the best books to read to prepare for an Oxford PPE application, ranging from introductory overviews of subjects to seminal works by famous thinkers.

Philosophy Reading List

1. Simon Blackburn, Think: A Compelling Introduction to Philosophy

   A great introduction to the big questions in philosophy, and life.

2. Thomas Nagel, What Does It All Mean?

   Nagel covers many of the central problems in philosophy, such as right and wrong, and what truly exists.

3. John Mackie, Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong

   Mackie questions the existence of moral facts, and whether actions can really be right or wrong.

4. John Stuart Mill, Utilitarianism

   Mill's famous work arguing for utilitarianism, the doctrine that the right action is that which produces the most pleasure.

5. René Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy

   Descartes' Meditations covers a number of fascinating topics, leading him to question his own existence, before his famous conclusion that he thinks, and thus must exist.

Politics Reading List

1. Jonathan Wolff, An Introduction to Political Philosophy

   A great overview of many of the key questions in political philosophy, such as who should rule, and how the state is justified.

2. Adam Swift, Political Philosophy: A Beginners' Guide for Students and Politicians

   Another useful overview, investigating central ideas such as justice, democracy, and liberty.

3. Arend Lijphart, Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries

   A more practical book, examining democracies from all over the world to determine what type of democracy works best

4. John Stuart Mill, On Liberty

   One of the most influential works of political philosophy of all time, proposing fundamental standards for the relationship between authority and liberty.

5. Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract

   Another hugely influential work, which theorises how political authority can gain legitimacy and be compatible with individual freedom.

Economics Reading List

1. Robert Heilbroner, The Worldly Philosophers: The Lives, Times, and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers

   A fantastic introduction to the world's great economic thinkers, and the philosophies that motivated them.

2. Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable

   In this insightful, prophetic, and entertaining book, Taleb outlines how improbable events are frequently unanticipated, but can have huge consequences.

3. Tim Harford, The Undercover Economist A fresh and acccessible introduction to principles of economics.

4. Michael Sandel, What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets

   Sandel questions whether markets ought to have such an impact on our society, and whether in fact there are some things that ought to be protected from their influence.

5. Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler, Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness

   Sunstein and Thaler show us how biases and other forces influence our everyday decisions, and propose a way we can be 'nudged' to choose what's best for us.

We've laid out five books for each subject to get you started, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Similarly, don't feel like you have to read every book in this list either. We would recommend reading one or two introductory books in each subject, and then pursuing whichever topics you find most interesting, whether they're listed here or not. If you want to read more about a different topic, just get in touch and we'd be happy to make some recommendations!