Charlotte Rose Rehman (MSc Philosophy of Economics and the Social Sciences)

Why did you choose LSE and the programme?

I studied Economics and Psychology during undergrad, and my interests converged towards behavioral economics, decision science, and game theory. By the time I graduated, I longed for a more critical analysis of the social sciences—not only what our economic models are but why they were created, their underlying assumptions, and the gap between what they explain and what is reflected in the real world. I knew I wanted to return to school at some point in the future and looked into Economics masters programs across the board, but ultimately felt that most were stodgy or confined to a narrow form of the discipline. I hoped to learn how to think about the social sciences in ways that helped me make sense of things happening out there, not from the armchair.

In the end, I only applied to the LSE MSc Philosophy of Economics program because it best encompassed the methodology and rigor I looked for, combined with an underlying broad-minded and innovative thesis to question, analyze, and know.

Which aspects of your studies were the most beneficial for your professional as well as personal development?

About halfway through the first term, I noticed, while explaining a concept in my economics of urbanization class in the Geography department, that my thought process immediately went: premise, premise, premise, conclusion. “Here is the underlying assumption, ” I explained, that sets up the rest of the model’s argument. As someone with no formal background in philosophy, it was interesting to observe my mind, unprompted, molding around this framework. Not only did it help clarify my thinking process for a topic outside the bounds of my program, but it helped me parse through and separate the different components of the problem. Similar to the tools of economics, my studies—even condensed into a one-year time frame—have helped with the clarity of my thoughts and precision of my arguments. These are tools I hoped to gain, and this year of studying has surpassed my expectations.

Additionally, through LSE’s Volunteer Centre, I had the opportunity to work, alongside a team of students, with a London-based charity to produce research. I continued working with the charity through the vehicle of my dissertation, which allowed me to use primary data sources and focus on answering knotty philosophy questions with the help of sociology and policy—ultimately allowing me to pursue an applied philosophy dissertation discussing the aims and overlaps between distributive and relational egalitarianism. After working on my dissertation for some months, I realized many of the policymakers and academics I read had some significant relationship with LSE; William Beveridge, for example, father of the modern British welfare state, held an 18-year tenure as Director of the school.

My professors—especially my advisor—and peers were wonderfully supportive of my foray into applied philosophy, knowing that my personal interest in the topic was a compelling instrument for richer exploration.

What is your fondest memory of your time here?

Arrive before 9 AM when the school is quiet and bare. Step off of Holborn station, skip past the Blank Street Coffee into the alleyway that opens up to Lincoln’s Inn Field. Stroll downthe path where nary a pigeon coos, nor a crow caws. Past The Old Curiosity Shop—an inspiration to Charles Dickens’ namesake novel, so the story goes—and marvel at the communal memory of great writers and thinkers at the very spot you occupy. The air is rife with possibility, unzipping the school’s mysteries before the day begins.

On such days, I found it most ideal to treat myself to a £1.80 (!) croissant (surprisingly good—tender, butter, flaky, and warm) and black tea early bird special from the cafe across the library and meander through Lincoln’s Inn field—relieving myself of some croissant bits here and there for the ravens following in my stead. Whenever I could, I savored these long days on campus—treasuring how special it is to be a student, the feeling of a sleepy campus, the familiar walk from the Holborn station to campus that I must have done a thousand times before I bid it a final farewell. In the way these things seem to work out, these moments were made ever more potent because of their brevity—a packed year and adventure, dotted intermittently with treats for the day’s work.

Why would you recommend studying at LSE and the Philosophy department in particular?

LSE offers applied academics that move the needle for social sciences. Within the institution, the Philosophy department offers you the tools for thinking, sharpening your blade of discernment, for the most impactful application possible. During my time at the program, my professors have been straightforward with gaps in my thinking in a way that encouraged me to learn. Writing my dissertation has been a particularly edifying experience. My advisor, with trust in my abilities, has time and again stretched my thinking to make sure there is no stone left unturned—and then helped me to focus in on a manageable bite to make the argument philosophically rich and satisfying.

Your LSE experience in your own words.

“To know the causes of things” through the right tools of clear thinking, strength of argument, and broad-minded exposure to ideas different from your own.