Optional
Philosophy
UPSC Civil Services Mains, optional subject
Syllabus
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
- Sying 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, Sarte, 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 Knowlegde
- Rejection of Transcendent Entities.
- Jainism
- Theory of Reality
- Saptabhanginaya
- Bondage and Liberation.
- Schools of Buddhism
- Prat Ityasamutpada
- Ksanikavada, Nairatmyavada.
- Nyaya—Vaiesesika
- 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
- Prakrit
- Purusa
- Causation
- Liberation.
- Yoga
- Citta
- Cittavrtti
- Klesas
- Samadhi
- Kaivalya.
- MimamsaTheory of Knowlegde.
- Schools of Vedanta
- Brahman
- Isvara
- Atman
- Jiva
- Jagat
- Maya
- Avida
- Adhyasa
- Moksa
- Aprthaksiddhi
- Pancavidhabheda.
- Aurobindo
- Evolution, Involution
- Integral Yoga.
Paper II
Socio-Political Philosophy
- Social and Political ldealsEquality, Justice, Liberty.
- SovereigntyAustin, 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
- Multi-culturalism.
- Crime and PunishmentCorruption, Mass Violence, Genocide, Capital Punishment.
- Development and Social Progress.
- Gender Discrimination
- Female Foeticide, Land and Property Rights
- Empowerment.
- Caste DiscriminationGandhi 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 ExperienceNature 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 Non-cognitive.
Syllabus as published by UPSC in the Civil Services Examination 2026 notification.