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Philosophy Syllabus – UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam

The optional subject in the UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam is divided into two papers, with each paper carrying 250 marks. This brings the total marks allotted for the optional subject to 500.

Philosophy Syllabus - UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam

Philosophy Syllabus – UPSC Civil Services Mains Exam

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

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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.

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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.

PAPER-II

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; Empowerment.

10. 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).

The 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.

Useful LINKS:

  1. Useful UPSC Civil Services Books
  2. IAS Study Materials for Online Preparation
  3.  UPSC Question Papers

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