UPSC CSE Mains Philosophy Syllabus
Paper-I consists of History and Problems of Philosophy and paper-II consists of Socio-Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion.
Paper I
History and Problems of Philosophy
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Plato and Aristotle: Ideas; Substance; Form and Matter; Causation; Actuality and Potentiality.
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Rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz): Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge; Substance; God; Mind-Body Dualism; Determinism and Freedom.
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Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume): Theory of Knowledge; Substance and Qualities; Self and God; Scepticism.
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Kant: Possibility of Synthetic a priori Judgments; Space and Time; Categories; Ideas of Reason; Antinomies; Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God
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Hegel: Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism
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Moore, Russell and Early Wittgenstein: Defence of Commonsense; Refutation of Idealism; Logical Atomism; Logical Constructions; Incomplete Symbols; Picture Theory of Meaning; Saying and Showing.
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Logical Positivism: Verification Theory of Meaning; Rejection of Metaphysics; Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions.
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Later Wittgenstein: Meaning and Use; Language- games; Critique of Private Language.
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Phenomenology (Husserl): Method; Theory of Essences; Avoidance of Psychologism.
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Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger): Existence and Essence; Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence; Being-in-the-world and Temporality.
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Quine and Strawson: Critique of Empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons.
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Carvaka : Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities.
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Jainism: Theory of Reality; Saptabhanginaya; Bondage and Liberation.
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Schools of Buddhism: Pratîtyasamutpada; Ksanikavada, Nairatmyavada.
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Nyaya-Vaiesika: 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.
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Samkhya: Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation
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Yoga: Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi; Kaivalya.
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Mimamsa: Theory of Knowledge
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Schools of Vedanta: Brahman; Isvara; Atman; Jiva; Jagat; Maya; Avidya; Adhyasa; Moksa; Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda
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Aurobindo: Evolution, Involution; Integral Yoga.
Paper II
Socio-Political Philosophy
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Social and Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty.
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Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya.
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Individual and State: Rights; Duties and Accountability.
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Forms of Government: Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy.
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Political Ideologies: Anarchism; Marxism and Socialism.
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Humanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism.
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Crime and Punishment: Corruption, Mass Violence, Genocide, Capital Punishment.
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Development and Social Progress.
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Gender Discrimination: Female Foeticide, Land and Property Rights; Empowerment.
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Caste Discrimination: Gandhi and Ambedkar.
Philosophy of Religion
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Notions of God: Attributes; Relation to Man and the World. (Indian and Western).
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Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western).
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Problem of Evil.
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Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation.
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Reason, Revelation and Faith.
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Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western).
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Religion without God.
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Religion and Morality.
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Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth.
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Nature of Religious Language: Analogical and Symbolic; Cognitivist and Noncognitive.