UPSC Optional Subject Syllabus: Philosophy Notes - UPSC

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 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.