Subject : M.A. Philosophy
I SEMESTER
Core (1) Classical Indian Philosophy (A)
Nyayabindu TÍka by Dharmottara
(2) Contemporary Indian Philosophy (A)
K. C. Bhattacharya : Studies in Philosophy : Edited by Gopinath Bhattacharya (Only chapters
I. Concept of Philosophy.
II. The Concept of Absolute and its Alternative forms).
(3) Modern Western Philosophy
1. Hume : Treatise on Human Nature Book I
2. Kant : Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics.
OR
(1) Francis Bacon : Novum Organum (Book I)
(2) Rene Descartes : Meditations on First Philosophy
4. Minor Elective:
(4) Problems of Philosophy (Common with IPR)
(1) Nature of Philosophy in the West and its Distinction from Science and Religion.
(2) Methods of Philosophy : Speculative versus Critical Method, the Method of Doubt, the Method of Phenomenological
Description, the Method of Analysis, Dialectical Method.
(3) Epistemological Problems:
(i) Necessary and Empirical Knowledge.
(ii) Sources of Knowledge.
(iii) Validity of Knowledge (Theories of Truths) (a) Correspondence, (b) Coherence, (c) Pragmatic Theory.
(iv) Limits of Knowledge : Scepticism, Agnosticism.
(4) Ontological problems :
(i) Mind, Matter, God.
(ii) Mind-body Problems.
(iii) Idealism, Realism, Materialism.
II SEMESTER
Core (1) Classical Indian Philosophy (B)
Vedānta Sāra
Suggested Readings :
1. Vedānta-sāra of Sadānanda edited with commentaries and notes by Col. G. A. Jacob.
2. Vedānta-sāra with Hindi translation and commentary by Pt. Badari Nath Shukla.
(2) Contemporary Indian Philosophy (B)
Sri Aurobindo : The Life Divine, Book One : Chapters 1,2,3,4,9,10,11,12,14,15,16 &23, Book Two : Chapters : 1,2,5,6,& 7 of
Part I, Chapters 18,19,20,25 & 27 of Part II.
Major Elective :
(3) Recent Western Philosophy
Wittgenstein, L. : Tractatus Logico Philosophicus.
OR
Sartre, J. P. : Existentialism and Humanism, Being and Nothingness.
4. Minor Elective :
(4) Problems of Ethics and Religion.
(1) Axiological Problems :
(i) Values of Life : End-values and Means-values, Individual Values and Social Values, Moral, Material and Spiritual Values.
(ii) Conflict between the Good and the Pleasant.
(iii) The Summum Bonum of Life, Liberation and Self-realisation.
(2) Problems of the Philosophy of Religion.
(i) Religion, Morality and Spirituality.
(ii) Conflict between science and Religion.
(iii) God and the Problem of Evil.
(iv) Validity of Religious Experience.
OR
The BhagavadgÍt (Chapters 2, 4, 12 & 16)
III SEMESTER
Core – (1) Logic (A)
1. Introduction
1.1 Symbolic Logic and Classical Logic
1.2 The use of Symbols.
1.3 Inference and Implication.
2. The Propositional Calculus
Propositional Logic
Propositional Variables and the Basic Connectives
Relation between Truth Functions
The Stroke and Dagger Functions
3. The Method of Deduction
3.1 The Truth Table Method of Testing the Validity of Arguments.
3.2 The Indirect Method of Truth-Table Decision.
3.3 The Classification of Propositions as Tautology, Contradictory and Contingent.
3.4 Elementary Transformation in the Propositional Calculus.
3.5 Decision Procedures and Normal Forms.
3.6 Derivation by Substitution.
4. The Syllogism and The Algebra of Classes
4.1 Classes and The Relation between them.
4.2 The Boolean Algebra of Classes.
4.3 The Boolean Algebra of Classes and Syllogism.
OR
Philosophy of Science (A)
Book Prescribed :
Earnest Nagel : The Structure of Science ( Chapter 2, 3 & 4 )
(2) Ethics (A) History of Ethics
1. Cynics and Cyrenaics.
2. Stoics and Epicurus
3. Plato : The Idea of Justice-Individual and Social, Cardinal Virtues, Absolute Good.
4. Aristotle : General conception of well being, Characteristics of Moral Virtue, The Doctrine of the Mean, Cardinal Virtues, Knowledge and Virtue.
5. Naturalism
(a) Egoistic Naturalism of Hobbes.
(b) Sympathetic Naturalism of Hume.
(c) Evolutional Naturalism (Evolutionary Hedonism) of Herbert Spencer.
6. English Intuitionism – Sympathetic Intuitionism of Adam Smith, Autonomic Intuitionism of Butler.
7. Rationalism of Kant – Categorical Imperative: Autonomy of Moral Will. Postulates of Morality. Rationalistic and idealistic Ethics of Hegel.
8. English Hedonism and Utilitarianism of Bentham, Mill and Sidgwick.
OR
Philosophy of Religion (A)
Book Prescribed :
Hick, John : Philosophy of Religion. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. New Delhi 1987 (Excluding Chapters 3, 6, 7, 8 and 10)
Major Elective :
(3) (1) Advaita Vedānta (A)
OR
MahÂyÂna Buddhism (A) MÂdhyamika
OR
Kashmir ìaivism (A)
OR
ViïiîtÂdvaita VedÂnta – (A)
Minor Elective :
(4) 1. SÂØkhya Philosophy
(1) Concept of Suffering.
(2) PramÂàa.
(3) Theory of Causation
(4) TriguàavÂda
(5) Puruîa
(6) Prakçti
(7) Evolution
(8) Kaivalya
OR
2. ìaiva-SiddhÂnta
Àgamic tradition, Proofs for existence of God, Nature of ìiva and ìakti, Nature of Soul, Creation, Bondage, Liberation.
OR
3. Jainism :
Metaphysics & Epistemology, Karma and Punarjanma, SyÂdvÂda, AnekÂntavÂda, Aàuvrata and MahÂvrata, Bondage and Liberation.
OR
4. Neo VedÂntism :
Vivekananda : Reality, MÂyÂ, Means of Liberation.
Sri Aurobindo : Absolute, Supermind, Human Destiny, Theory of Evolution.
Radhakrishnan : Absolute, Intellect and Intuition, Spirit and Human Destiny.
IV SEMESTER
Core (1) Logic (B)
1. Deductive System :
1.1 Definition and Deduction.
1.2 Formal Deductive System.
1.3 Properties of Formal Deductive Systems.
2. Quantification Theory:
2.1 Singular Propositions and General Propositions.
2.2 Predicates.
2.3 Quantifiers.
2.4 Bound and Free Variables.
2.5 Inference Involving only Universal Quantifiers.
2.6 Restricted Inferences with Existential Quantifiers.
2.7 General Inferences.
3. The Logic of Relations:
3.1 Arguments including Relations.
3.2 Some Attributes of Relations.
3.3 Identity and Definite Description.
OR
Philosophy of Science (B)
Book Prescribed :
Earnest Nagel : The Structure of Science (Chapter 6, 10 & 14 )
(2) Ethics (B) Contemporary Ethical Theories
1. Moore : Intuitionism, Naturalistic Fallacy, Ideal Utilitarianism.
2. Ross : The Right and the Good, Prima-facie Duties.
3. Ewing : Conception of ‘Ought’, Definition of the Good.
4. Ayer : Emotive Theory of Ethics Based on Logical positivism.
5. Stevenson : Ethics & Language (Emotive Theory), Criticism of Intuitionism by Emotive Theories.
6. Toulmin : Good Reasons in Ethics. Limiting problems of Ethics.
7. Urmson : Grading in the Moral Sphere.
8. Hare : Prescriptive Ethics.
OR
Philosophy of Religion (B)
Major Elective :
(3) Advaita VedÂnta (B)
Book Prescribed :
1. VedÂnta ParibhÂî (Paricchedas 1 to 6 only)
OR
MahÂyÂna Buddhism (B) (YogÂcÂra)
OR
Kashmir ìaivism (B)
OR
ViïiîtÂdvaita VedÂnta (B)
Book Prescribed :
1. Yatindra-mata-dÍpik (Avataras 1 to 3 only)
Minor Elective :
(4) (i) Yoga Philosophy :
1. Meaning of Yoga.
2. Citta and Cittavçtti.
3. SamÂdhi-samprajáÂta and AsamprajáÂta.
4. Abhyāsa-VairÂgya.
5. KriyÂyoga.
6. Aîtānga Yoga .
7. Kleïa.
8. God.
9. Kaivalya.
OR
(ii) Vaiîàavism
The concept of God, Love, Bhakti, Prapatti, SaraàÂgati, Signs of Bhaktas, NyÂsa.
OR
(iii) The Philosophy of M. K. Gandhi
Truth, Non-violence, SatyÂgraha, Means and End, Eleven MahÂvratas, Sarvodaya.
OR
(iv) The Philosophy of Pt. M. M. Malaviya
Reality, Dharma, Social system, ÀcÂra, Education.
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