The course introduces students to the fundamental elements of thinking like a social scientist. As no complex issue can be fully understood through the lens of a single discipline, LSE100 explores pressing social issues from the perspective of different fields of social science. The goal of the course is to enable students to complement intellectual grounding in their discipline with a broad understanding of different ways of thinking. In four five-week modules, the course will examine 'big' questions, such as: ‘How should we address poverty and inequality?’, ‘Is nationalism a source of cohesion or conflict?’ and ‘Is punishment the answer to crime?’ Using such questions as guides, students will explore different types of evidence, forms of explanation and strategies for abstraction and modelling that are used across the social sciences. The intention is not only to broaden students' intellectual experience, but also to deepen their critical understanding of their own disciplines. LSE100’s focus on the core elements of social scientific reasoning will be accompanied by a strong emphasis on critical thinking, research and communication skills.