UPSC : Philosophy : Main Examination

PAPER-I
History and Problems of Philosophy
Section A
1. Plato: Theory of Ideas.
2. Aristotle: Form, Matter and causation.
3. Descartes: Cartesian Method and certain knowledge, God, Mind-Body Dualism.
4. Spinoza: Substance, Attributes and Modes, Pantheism; Bondage and Freedom.
5. Leibnitz: Monads; Theory of Perception God.
6. Locke: Theory of Knowledge, Rejection of Innate Ideas; substance and qualities.
7. Berkeley: Immaterialism, God, Criticism of representative Theory of Perception.
8. Hume: Theory of knowledge, Scepticism, Self, Causality.
9. Kant: Distinctions between synthetic and analytic judgements and between apriori and aposteriori judgements, Space, Time Categories, Possibility of Synthetic Apriori Judgements, Ideas of Reason and Antinomies; Criticism of the Proofs for the Existence of God.
10. Hegel: Dialectical Method, Absolute Idealism.
11. Precursors of Linguistic Analysis: Moore (Defence of common sense, Reputation of idealism), Russell (Theory of Descriptions).
12. Logical Atomisms: Atomic Facts, Atomic sentences, Logical Constructions and Incomplete Symbols (Russell), Distinction of saying and showing (Wittgenstein).
13. Logical Positivism: Verification theory and rejection of Metaphysics, Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions.
14. Phenomenology: Husserl.
15. Existentialism: Kierkegaard, Sartre.
16. Quine: Radical empiricism.
17. Strawson: Theory of person..

Section B
1. Carvaka: Theory of Knowledge, Materialism.
2. Jainism: Theory of Reality, Saptabhangi Naya, Bondage and Liberation.
3. Buddhism: Pratityasamutpada, Ksanikavyda, Nairatmyavada, Schools of Buddhism, Sautrantika Theory of Pramana, Ideal of Bodhisattva.
4. Samkhya: Prakriti, Purusa, Theory of Causation, Liberation.
5. Naya-Vaisesika: Theory of Pramana, Self, Liberation, God and Proofs for Gods Existence, Categories, Theory of Causation, Atomistic theory of Creation.
6. Mimansa: Theory of Knowledge.
7. Vedanta: Schools of Vedanta, Sankara, Ramaunja, Madhva (Brahman, Isvara, Atman, Jiva, Jagat, Maya, Avidya, Adhyasa, Moksa).

PAFER-II
Section A: Socio-Political Philosophy
I. Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty.
2. Sovereignty (Austin, Boidin, Laski, Kautilya).
3. Individual and State.
4. Democracy; Concept and forms.
5. Socialism and Marxism.
6. Humanism.
7. Secularism.
8. Theories of punishment.
9. Co-existence and violence; Sarvodaya.
10. Gender - Equality.
11. Scientific Temper and Progress.
12. Philosopliy of Ecology.

Section B: Philosophy of Religion
1. Notions of God: Personalistic, Imprsonalistic, Naturalistic.
2 Proofs for the Existence of God and their criticisms.
3. Immortality of Soul.
4. Liberation.
5. Problem of Evil.
6. Religious Knowledge: Reason, Revelation Mysticism.
7. Religion without God.
8. Religion and Morality.