UPSC Philosophy Optional Syllabus

UPSC Philosophy Syllabus 2020

UPSC Mains Philosophy Paper 1 Syllabus

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.



• Cârvâka :

  Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities.



• Jainism:

  Theory of Reality; Saptabhaòginaya; Bondage and Liberation.



• Schools of Buddhism:

  Pratîtyasamutpâda; Ksanikavada, Nairâtmyavâda.



• Nyâya- Vaiúesika:

  Theory of Categories; Theory of Appearance; Theory of Pramâna; Self, Liberation; God; Proofs for the Existence of God; Theory of Causation; Atomistic Theory of Creation.



• Sâmkhya:

  Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation.



• Yoga:

  Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi; Kaivalya.



• Mimâmsâ:

  Theory of Knowledge.



• Schools of Vedânta:

  Brahman; Îúvara; Âtman; Jiva; Jagat; Mâyâ; Avidyâ; Adhyâsa; Moksa; Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda



• Aurobindo:

  Evolution, Involution; Integral Yoga.

UPSC Mains Philosophy Paper 2 Syllabus

• Socio-Political Philosophy

  • Social and Political Ideals:

    Equality, Justice, Liberty.
  
  

  • Sovereignty:

    Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya.
  
  

  • Individual and State:

    Rights; Duties and Accountability.
  
  

  • Forms of Government:

    Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy.
  
  

  • Political Ideologies:

    Anarchism; Marxism and Socialism.
  
  

  • Humanism; 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 Ambedkar
  
  
  

• Philosophy 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.