UPSC Civil Services (Mains) Examination Philosophy Syllabus

UPSC Civil Services (Mains) Examination Syllabus of Philosophy Syllabus.

UPSC CSE Mains Philosophy Syllabus

Paper – I

History and Problems of Philosophy:

• Plato and Aristotle: Ideas; Substance; Form and Matter; Causation; Actuality and Potentiality.
• Rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz): Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge; Substance; God; Mind-Body Dualism; Determinism and Freedom.
• Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume): Theory of Knowledge; Substance and Qualities; Self and God; Scepticism.
• Kant: Possibility of Synthetic a priori Judgments; Space and Time; Categories; Ideas of Reason; Antinomies; Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God
• Hegel: Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism
• Moore, Russell and Early Wittgenstein: Defence of Commonsense; Refutation of Idealism; Logical Atomism; Logical Constructions; Incomplete Symbols; Picture Theory of Meaning; Saying and Showing.
• Logical Positivism: Verification Theory of Meaning; Rejection of Metaphysics; Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions.
• Later Wittgenstein: Meaning and Use; Language- games; Critique of Private Language.
• Phenomenology (Husserl): Method; Theory of Essences; Avoidance of Psychologism.
• Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger): Existence and Essence; Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence; Being-in-the –world and Temporality.
• Quine and Strawson: Critique of Empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons.
• Carvaka : Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities.
• Jainism: Theory of Reality; Saptabhaòginaya; Bondage and Liberation.
• Schools of Buddhism: Pratîtyasamutpada; Ksanikavada, Nairatmyavada
• Nyaya- Vaiúesika: Theory of Categories; Theory of Appearance; Theory of Pramana; Self, Liberation; God; Proofs for the Existence of God; Theory of Causation; Atomistic Theory of Creation.
• Samkhya: Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation
• Yoga: Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi; Kaivalya.
• Mimamsa: Theory of Knowledge
• Schools of Vedanta: Brahman; Îúvara; Atman; Jiva; Jagat; Maya; Avidya; Adhyasa; Moksa; Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda
• Aurobindo: Evolution, Involution; Integral Yoga.

Paper – II

Socio-Political Philosophy:Social and Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty.Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya.Individual and State: Rights; Duties and AccountabilityForms of Government: Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy.Political Ideologies: Anarchism; Marxism and SocialismHumanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism.Crime and Punishment: Corruption, Mass Violence, Genocide, Capital Punishment.Development and Social Progress.Gender Discrimination: Female Foeticide, Land and Property Rights; Empowernment.Caste Discrimination: Gandhi and AmbedkarPhilosophy of Religion:Notions of God: Attributes; Relation to Man and the World. (Indian and Western).Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western).Problem of Evil.Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation.Reason, Revelation and Faith.Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western).Religion without God.Religion and Morality.Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth.Nature of Religious Language: Analogical and Symbolic; Cognitivist and Noncognitive.