Among the non-technical subjects, Philosophy is one of 25 subjects offered by UPSC. It has the shortest syllabus in comparison to other non-technical subjects in IAS (UPSC CSE) Mains. The syllabus of Philosophy is declared by the conducting body. Check the UPSC philosophy optional syllabus here.
Paper I deals with Indian Philosophy and Western Philosophy and Paper II has 2 sections dealing with Philosophy of religion and Socio-political philosophy. In paper-I, candidates will face 5 out of 8 questions, and in paper-II, there will be 1 question asked from each topic.
In the following article, the topic-wise weightage, previous years’ papers, and booklist as per the topics is discussed.
Before starting your preparation, topic-wise analysis is important. It will give you a rough idea about the important topics and the weightage of each topic in IAS philosophy optional. This will help you to plan the timetable and make predictions of probable questions.
For better understanding, the philosophy optional paper-I is divided into two parts: Indian Philosophy and contemporary western philosophy.
In the following table, there is a detailed marks division of important topics that have been faced from the Indian Philosophy section.
Topic | Analysis of Marks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
Aurobindo | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 15 |
Schools of Vedanta | 50 | 30 | 30 | 15 | 15 |
Mimamsa | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 20 |
Yoga | 12 | 15 | 20 | 0 | 10 |
Samkhya | 22 | 50 | 25 | 10 | 15 |
Nyaya Vaisheshika | 35 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 0 |
Buddhism | 0 | 0 | 35 | 25 | 40 |
Jainism | 10 | 15 | 35 | 45 | 15 |
Carvaka | 0 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
In the following table, there is a detailed marks division of important topics which has been faced from Contemporary Western Philosophy.
Topic | Analysis of Marks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
Quine and Strawson | 0 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 0 |
Existentialism | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Phenomenology | 0 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
Later Wittgenstein | 10 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Logical Positivism | 10 | 20 | 0 | 10 | 10 |
Moore, Russell | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Hegel | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Kant | 22 | 10 | 20 | 35 | 40 |
Empiricism | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
Rationalism | 12 | 0 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Plato and Aristotle | 10 | 15 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
For better understanding, philosophy optional paper II is divided into two parts: Socio-Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion.
In the following table, there is a detailed marks division of important topics which has been faced from Socio-Political Philosophy.
Topic | Analysis of Marks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
Caste Discrimination | 10 | 25 | 35 | 20 | 10 |
Gender Discrimination | 50 | 15 | 30 | 10 | 15 |
Development and Social Progress | 0 | 15 | 10 | 0 | 15 |
Crime and Punishment | 10 | 50 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
Humanism, Secularism | 10 | 50 | 0 | 20 | 30 |
Political Ideologies | 0 | 35 | 50 | 10 | 30 |
Forms of Government | 50 | 15 | 35 | 10 | 20 |
Individual and State | 10 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Sovereignty | 0 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 25 |
Social and Political Ideals | 50 | 15 | 25 | 10 | 15 |
In the following table, there is a detailed marks division of important topics which has been faced from the Philosophy of Religion:
Topic | Analysis of Marks | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
Nature of Religious Language | 50 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 20 |
Religious Pluralism | 0 | 30 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
Religion and Morality | 50 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
Religion without God | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
Religious Experience | 10 | 15 | 25 | 0 | 10 |
Reason, Revelation, and Faith | 10 | 35 | 35 | 20 | 25 |
Soul | 10 | 35 | 35 | 15 | 45 |
Problem of Evil | 10 | 20 | 25 | 0 | 35 |
Proofs for the Existence of God | 50 | 15 | 45 | 15 | 15 |
Notions of God | 10 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 0 |
Candidates can check the table below where the booklist is provided categorized as per the sections of UPSC Philosophy optional syllabus:
In Paper-I, candidates have to answer 5 questions out of 8 questions. The compulsory questions are generally asked from the epistemology of Indian philosophy. Here are the preparation tips for both Indian philosophy and Western Philosophy:
The commonly asked questions are from Refutation of inference, Pratitya Samutpada, and Khan Bhangvada, Shunyavada, and Vigyanvada, Purush Prakriti, and Theory of Evolution categories and atomism from Vaisheshika, Qualified non-dualism and refutation of Mayaism from Ramanuja, etc.
The commonly asked questions are from the theories of Plato, substance, and form of Aristotle, Descartes, substance or pantheism of Spinoza, monadology of Leibnitz, Berkeley, Scepticism of Hume, Kant, Hegel, Bradley, Radical empiricism of James, the idealism of Moore, Russel, etc. Here are some tips to follow:
Paper-II is divided into two sections as Socio-Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion. Here are the preparation tips for both sections:
In the following chart, some links are provided through which previous years’ question papers of 2020 to 2014 can easily be downloaded and take a print out if needed.
Year of Exam | Paper-I | Paper-II |
---|---|---|
2020 | Download | Download |
2019 | Download | Download |
2018 | Download | Download |
2017 | Download | Download |
2016 | Download | Download |
2015 | Download | Download |
2014 | Download | Download |
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Though the optional has a defined and short syllabus, it is stuffed with technical terms, and it requires an in-depth understanding, as well as the ability to connect one concept with another.
Ques. Is coaching necessary for philosophy optional of IAS (UPSC CSE) Mains?
Ans. Coaching is highly recommended for philosophy optional. It is difficult to self-study due to the vastness of the syllabus. A lot of self-effort and dedication are required to clear the examination. Begin early and aim to complete the entire syllabus comprehensively.
Ques. What is the highest score of Philosophy optional in IAS (UPSC CSE) Mains?
Ans. Juhi Jalota secured 306 Marks in Philosophy optional in CSE-2017 and secured AIR 122.
Ques. Are 6 months enough for Philosophy optional?
Ans. Though it depends on the candidates’ ability and interest, 6 months is enough to study and cover the philosophy. In the first 3 months, the syllabus is expected to be completed. So use the rest of the period for practice answer writing and revising.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.