This joint degree has a rich history and is regarded as a modern version of Classics. Historically, this combination of subjects has been a well-known favourite choice for politicians and future Prime Ministers. Studying philosophy at the University of Reading will equip you with the ability to think logically, to evaluate arguments critically, and to challenge your own ideas and those of other people. We will give you an understanding of the central principles, concepts, problems, texts and figures of philosophy. You will be taught by leading experts whose research strengths lie especially in moral philosophy and the philosophy of the mind and language. You will also have the chance to examine non-Western philosophies such as Indian philosophy. In economics, you will study both applied and practical issues and focus on the relationship between economics and society. This course places less emphasis on mathematical and statistical content than some Economics courses do; instead you will focus on the relevance of these techniques to applied problems. Philosophy will give you a range of transferable skills. In particular, skills in clear thinking, logical analysis and the critical assessment of argument are greatly valued in a variety of professional careers such as law, politics, management and marketing. Past students have put their political analysis skills to direct use in the home and European civil services, political research units, think tanks, non-governmental organisations and journalism. Other have found employment in the civil service, journalism, consultancy, finance, local and central government, and recent employer shave included the Ministry of Defence, Cambridge University Press, local authorities and other universities.