Indian Civil Service Exams (CSE) Syllabus - UPSC Exams

Section A - Problems of Philosophy:

• Substance and Attributes: Aristole, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley's criticism, Nyaya-Viasesika, Buddhist criticism of Pudgala.
• God, Soul and the World: Thomas Acquinas, St. Augustine, Spinoza, Descartes, Nyaya-Vaisesika, Sankara, Ramanuja.
• Universals: Realism and Nominalism (Plato, Aristotle, Berkeley's criticism of abstract ideas, Nyay-Vaisesika, Buddhism).
• Bases of Knowledge: Pramanavada in Carvaka, Nyaya-Vaisesika, Buddhism, Advaita Vedanta.
• Truth and Error: Correspondence Theory, Coherence theory, Pragmatic Theory; Khyativada (Anyathakhyati, Akhyati, Anivacaniyakhyati).
• Matter and Mind: Descartes, Spinoza, Leibnitz, Berkerley.

Section B - Logic:

• Truth and Validity
• Classification of sentences: Traditional and Modern.
• Syllogism: Figures and Moods; Rules of Syllogism (General and special) validation by Venn Diagrammes; Formal Fallacies.
• Sentential Calculus: Symbolisation; Truth-Functions and their inter definability; Truth Tables; Formal Proof.

Section C - Ethics:

• Statement of fact and statement of value.
• Right and Good; Teleology and Deontology.
• Psychological Hedonism.
• Utilitarianism (Bentham; J.S. Mill).
• Kantian Ethics.
• Problem of the freedom of will.
• Moral Judgements: Descriptivism, Prescriptivism, Emotivism.
• Niskamakarma: Sthitaprajna.
• Jaina Ethics
• Four Noble Truths and Eight fold path in Buddhism.
• Gandhian Ethics: Satya, Ahimsa, Ends and Means.

Indian Civil Service Exams (CSE) Syllabus - UPSC Exams