UPSC Mains Philosophy Syllabus

Paper - I

History and Problems of Philosophy:

1. Plato and Aristotle: Ideas; Substance; Form and Matter; Causation; Actuality and Potentiality.

2. Rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz): Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge; Substance; God; Mind-Body Dualism; Determinism and Freedom.

3. Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume): Theory of Knowledge; Substance and Qualities; Self and God; Scepticism.

4. Kant: Possibility of Synthetic A priori Judgments; Space and Time; Categories; Ideas of Reason; Antinomies; Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God

5. Hegel: Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism

6. Moore, Russell and Early Wittgenstein: Defense of Commonsense; Refutation of Idealism; Logical Atomism; Logical Constructions; Incomplete Symbols; Picture Theory of Meaning; Saying and Showing.

7. Logical Positivism: Verification Theory of Meaning; Rejection of Metaphysics; Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions.

8. Later Wittgenstein: Meaning and Use; Language- games; Critique of Private Language.

9. Phenomenology (Husserl): Method; Theory of Essences; Avoidance of Psychologism.

10. Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger): Existence and Essence; Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence; Being–in–the–world and Temporality.

11. Quine and Strawson: Critique of Empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons.

12. Carvaka: Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities.

13. Jainism: Theory of Reality; Saptabhaòginaya; Bondage and Liberation.

14. Schools of Buddhism: Pratîtyasamutpada; Ksanikavada, Nairatmyavada

15. 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.

16. Samkhya: Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation

17. Yoga: Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi; Kaivalya.

18. Mimamsa: Theory of Knowledge

19. Schools of Vedanta: Brahman; Îúvara; Atman; Jiva; Jagat; Maya; Avidya; Adhyasa; Moksa; Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda

20. Aurobindo: Evolution, Involution; Integral Yoga.

Paper-II

Socio-Political Philosophy:

1.    Social and Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty.

2.    Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya.

3.    Individual and State: Rights; Duties and Accountability

4.    Forms of Government: Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy.

5.    Political Ideologies: Anarchism; Marxism and Socialism

6.    Humanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism.

7.    Crime and Punishment: Corruption, Mass Violence, Genocide, Capital Punishment.

8.    Development and Social Progress.

9.    Gender Discrimination: Female Foeticide, Land and Property Rights; Empowerment.

10.                Caste Discrimination: Gandhi and Ambedkar

Philosophy of Religion:

1.    Notions of God: Attributes; Relation to Man and the World. (Indian and Western).

2.    Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western).

3.    Problem of Evil.

4.    Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation.

5.    Reason, Revelation, and Faith.

6.    Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western).

7.    Religion without God.

8.    Religion and Morality.

9.    Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth.

10.                Nature of Religious Language: Analogical and Symbolic; Cognitivist and No cognitive.