Philosophy Notes & Mindmaps | UPSC Optional Course

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Are you preparing for the UPSC exam and looking for a reliable study resource to ace Philosophy Optional? Look no further! Our Philosophy Optional Mindmap Notes are the perfect solution for anyone looking to excel in the subject. Now, we have also added an ‘Answer Writing’ feature to help you practice and improve your writing skills for the exam.

Our Notes are designed to be a comprehensive and easy-to-understand study guide, covering all the essential topics and concepts that you need to know for the exam. The notes are also organized into a series of visually appealing mindmaps, making it easy to see the big picture and understand how different concepts fit together.

Our team of experienced educators are carefully crafting these notes to be both comprehensive and concise, ensuring that you have all the information you need to succeed without feeling overwhelmed. The notes will also be regularly updated to ensure that you have the most current and accurate information.

To help you practice answer writing, we have included UPSC level questions based on the Philosophy Optional syllabus. These questions cover various topics and are designed to help you understand the expectations of the examiners and improve your writing skills. Students can provide their answers in the comment section, which will be reviewed and voted on by either our staff or peer students.

Referred Sources

Paper I

W. T. Stace: A Critical History of Greek Philosophy (Plato and Aristotle).
Copleston: A History of Philosophy (Relevant Chapters from volume I, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & XI).
Anthony Kenny: A New History of Western Philosophy. OUP Oxford.
Datta & Chatterjee: An Introduction to Indian Philosophy. Rupa Publishing.
C. D. Sharma: A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy. MLBD.
Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy.
Internet

Paper II

John Hick: Philosophy of Religion.
Michael B. Wilkinson: Philosophy of Religion: An Introduction.
O. P. Gauba: Social & Political Philosophy.
Political Theory, An Introduction. Edited By Rajeev Bhargava & Ashok Acharya.
Oxford Dictionary of Politics.
Internet

Course Content

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

1.1 Plato’s Philosophy of Ideas Sample Module

1.2 Plato’s Understanding of Substance

1.3 Aristotle’s Philosophy of Form and Matter Sample Module

1.4 Aristotle’s Theory of Substance

1.5 Plato’s View on Causation

1.6 Aristotle’s Four Causes Sample Module

1.7 Actuality and Potentiality in Aristotle’s Philosophy Sample Module

1.8 Comparative Analysis of Plato and Aristotle’s Philosophies

2. The Foundations of Rationalism: Method, Substance, God, and Mind-Body Dualism

2.1 Rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz) Sample Module

2.2 Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge

2.3 Substance (Aristotle, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz) Sample Module

2.4 Philosophy of God (Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz)

2.5 Mind-Body Dualism Sample Module

2.6 Determinism and Freedom (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz)

3. Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume)

3.1 Introduction to Empiricism

3.2 Theory of Knowledge (Locke, Berkeley, Hume) 3 Submodules

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Module Content

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3.2.1 John Locke’s empiricism

3.2.2 George Berkeley’s idealism

3.2.3 David Hume’s Skepticism

3.3 Substance and Qualities (Locke, Berkeley, Hume) Sample Module

3.4 Self and God (Locke, Berkeley, Hume)

3.5 Scepticism (Locke, Berkeley, and Hume) Sample Module

4. Kant

4.1 Introduction to Kant’s Philosophy

4.2 Kant: The Possibility of Synthetic a priori Judgments Sample Module

4.3 Kant’s Space and Time

4.4 Kant’s Categories Sample Module

4.5 Kant’s Ideas of Reason

4.6 Kant’s Antinomies Sample Module

4.7 Kant’s Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God

5. Hegel

5.1 Hegel: Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism Sample Module

6. Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein

6.1 Defence of Commonsense (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein)

6.2 Refutation of Idealism (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein) Sample Module

6.3 Logical Atomism (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein)

6.4 Logical Constructions (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein) Sample Module

6.5 Incomplete Symbols (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein)

6.6 Picture Theory of Meaning (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein) Sample Module

6.7 Saying and Showing (Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein)

7. Logical Positivism

7.1 Verification Theory of Meaning

7.2 Rejection of Metaphysics Sample Module

7.3 Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions

8. Later Wittgenstein

8.1 Meaning and Use (Later Wittgenstein)

8.2 Language-games (Later Wittgenstein) Sample Module

8.3 Critique of Private Language (Later Wittgenstein)

9. Phenomenology (Husserl)

9.1 Method – Phenomenology (Husserl) Sample Module

9.2 Theory of Essences – Phenomenology (Husserl)

9.3 Avoidance of Psychologism – Phenomenology (Husserl)

10. Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger)

10.1 Existence and Essence Sample Module

10.2 Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence

10.3 Being–in–the–world and Temporality

11. Quine and Strawson

11.1 Critique of Empiricism (Quine and Strawson) Sample Module

11.2 Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons (Quine and Strawson)

12. Cârvâka

12.1 Cârvâka: Theory of Knowledge Sample Module

12.2 Cârvâka: Rejection of Transcendent Entities

13. Jainism

13.1 Jainism: Theory of Reality Sample Module

13.2 Jainism: Saptabhaòginaya

14. Schools of Buddhism

14.1 Pratîtyasamutpâda (Schools of Buddhism) Sample Module

14.2 Ksanikavada (Schools of Buddhism)

14.3 Nairâtmyavâda (Schools of Buddhism)

15. Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika

15.1 Theory of Categories (Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika) Sample Module

15.2 Theory of Appearance (Nyâya-Vaiśeṣika)

15.3 Theory of Pramâna (Nyâya-Vaiśeṣika) Sample Module

15.4 Self, Liberation, God, Proofs for the Existence of God (Nyâya-Vaiśeṣika)

15.5 Theory of Causation & Atomistic Theory of Creation (Nyâya-Vaiśeṣika) Sample Module

16. Sâmkhya

16.1 Prakrti (Sâmkhya) Sample Module

16.2 Purusa (Sâmkhya)

16.3 Causation (Sâmkhya) Sample Module

16.4 Liberation (Sâmkhya)

17. Yoga

17.1 Introduction to Yoga Philosophy

17.2 Citta (Yoga) Sample Module

17.3 Cittavrtti (Yoga)

17.4 Klesas (Yoga) Sample Module

17.5 Samadhi (Yoga)

17.6 Kaivalya (Yoga)

18. Mimâmsâ

18.1 Mimâmsâ: Theory of Knowledge Sample Module

19. Schools of Vedânta

19.1 Brahman (Schools of Vedânta) Sample Module

19.2 Îúvara (Schools of Vedânta)

19.3 Âtman (Schools of Vedânta)

19.4 Jiva (Schools of Vedânta) Sample Module

19.5 Jagat (Schools of Vedânta)

19.6 Mâyâ (Schools of Vedânta)

19.7 Avidyâ (Schools of Vedanta) Sample Module

19.8 Adhyâsa (Schools of Vedanta)

19.9 Moksa (Schools of Vedanta)

19.10 Aprthaksiddhi (Schools of Vedanta) Sample Module

19.11 Pancavidhabheda (Schools of Vedanta)

20. Aurobindo

20.1 Aurobindo: Evolution Sample Module

20.2 Aurobindo: Involution

20.3 Aurobindo: Integral Yoga

21. Socio-Political Ideals

21.1 Equality (Social and Political Ideals)

21.2 Justice (Social and Political Ideals)

21.3 Liberty (Social and Political Ideals) Sample Module

22. Sovereignty

22. Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya Sample Module

23. Individual and State

23.1 Rights (Individual and State)

23.2 Duties (Individual and State) Sample Module

23.3 Accountability (Individual and State)

24. Forms of Government

24.1 Monarchy (Forms of Government) Sample Module

24.2 Theocracy (Forms of Government)

24.3 Democracy (Forms of Government)

25. Political Ideologies

25.1 Anarchism (Political Ideologies) Sample Module

25.2 Marxism (Political Ideologies)

25.3 Socialism (Political Ideologies)

26. Humanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism

26.1 Humanism Sample Module

26.2 Secularism

26.3 Multiculturalism

27. Crime and Punishment

27.1 Corruption Sample Module

27.2 Mass Violence

27.3 Genocide

27.4 Capital Punishment Sample Module

28. Development and Social Progress

29. Gender Discrimination

29.1 Female Foeticide Sample Module

29.2 Land, and Property Rights

29.3 Empowerment

30. Caste Discrimination

30.1 Gandhi (Caste Discrimination)

30.2 Ambedkar (Caste Discrimination)

Philosophy of Religion

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

32. Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western) Sample Module

33. The problem of Evil

34. Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation Sample Module

35. Reason, Revelation, and Faith

36. Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western) Sample Module

37. Religion without God

38. Religion and Morality Sample Module

39. Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth

40. Nature of Religious Language: Analogical and Symbolic Sample Module

41. Nature of Religious Language: Cognitivist and Noncognitive

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Santhosh

Admin

1 year ago

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Hello aspirants! Syllabus has been completed as of 11.12.2023. Kindly share your feedback. Thanks in advance.

Anand

Reply to Santhosh Kumar

1 year ago

Philosophy Optional – The topics are misplaced and are not arranged in order.

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to Anand

1 year ago

Hi there. Can you please reload the page and check again?

Anand

Reply to Santhosh Kumar

1 year ago

Thank You. Now it is perfectly arranged.

Anand

1 year ago

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IAS Express Courses are nice for the revision of the whole syllabus of GS and Optional in mindmaps form.
Thank you IAS Express team for your wonderful initiative.

Nikhil

1 year ago

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I bought the course specifically for Sociopolitical philosophy and philosophy of religion. They are missing.

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to Nikhil Meshram

1 year ago

Hi. Syllabus has been completed as of 11.12.2023. Kindly check again.

Chinmaya

1 year ago

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Sir will you upload the paper 2 topics?

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to Chinmaya Sahu

1 year ago

Yes. We’re uploading daily.

Update:- Syllabus has been completed as of 11.12.2023.

Rahul

1 year ago

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Good course

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to Rahul

1 year ago

Thanks for the positive feedback.

Harshdeep

1 year ago

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Wanted to tell u that you have an excellent notes of philosophy..I have gone through the modules..and mind maps looks like a cakewalk for revision.. thank you for providing such content

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to Harshdeep Pateriya

1 year ago

I’m thrilled to hear that you found our notes helpful for your studies. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out. We are here to help. Good luck with your studies!

umung

2 months ago

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i have been studying this course recently and i find it really helpful as compare to other online resources and the customer queries handing team is doing a great work as well.

Santhosh

Admin

Reply to umung saki

2 months ago

Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear that you find the course helpful and appreciate our customer support. Your feedback means a lot to us!

Philosophy (Optional) Notes & Mind Maps

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Referred Sources

Course Content

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

Course Includes