Mizoram Civil Services Examination Syllabus
Optional Paper - Philosophy
PAPER - I
PART - A
Unit I : Plato and Aristotle : Idiqs; Substance; form and Matter; Causation; Actuality and Potentiality Rationalism (Descates, Spinoza, Leibniz):
Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge; Substance; God; Mind-Body
Dualism; Determinism and Freedom.
Unit II : Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume): Theory of Knowledge; substance and Qualities; Self of God; Scepticism. Kant: Possibility of Synthetic a priori Judgements; space and Time; Categories; Ideas of Reason; antinomies; Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God. Moore, Russell and Early Wittgenstein: Defence of Commonsense,; Refutation of Idealism; Logical Atomism; Logical Constructions; Incomplete Symbols; Picture Theory of
Meaning; Saying and Showing.
Unit III : Hegel: Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism. Logical Positivism: Verification Theory of Meaning; Rejection of Metaphysics; Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions. Later Wittgenstein: Meaning and Use; Languagegames;Critique of Private Language.
Unit IV : Phenomenology (Husserl): Method; Theory of Essences; Avoidance of Psychologism. Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger): Existence and Essence; Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence; Being-in-theworld and Temporality. Quine and Strawson: Critique of empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons.
PART - B
Unit I : Carvaka: Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities. Jainsim:
Theory of Reality; Saptabhan (ginaya; Bondage and Liberation.
Unit II : Schools of Buddhism: Prati-tyasamutpa -da; Ksanikavada, Naira-tmyavada. Naya-ya-Vais’esika: theory of Categories; Theory of Appearance; Theory of Prama-na; Self, Liberation; god; Proofs for the Existence of God; Theory of
Causation; Atomistic Theory of Creation.
Unit III : Sa-mkhya: Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation Yaga: Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi;Kaivalya. Mima-msa: theory of Knowledge
Unit IV : Schools of Veda-nta: Brahman; I-s’vara; A-tman; Jagat; Ma-ya; Avidya; dhya-sa; Moksa;Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda. Aurobindo: Evolution,
Involution; Integral Yoga.
PAPER – II
PART - A
SOCIO-POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Unit I : Social and Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty. Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya.
Unit II: Individual and State: Rights; Duties and Accountability.
Forms of Government: Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy. Political
Ideologies: Anarchism;
Unit III : Marxism and Socialism
Humanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism. Crime and Punishment: Corruption, Mass Violence,
Unit IV : Genocide, Capital Punishment.
Development and Social Progress. Gender Discrimination: Female Foeticide, Land and Property
Rights; Empowernment. Caste Discrimination: Gandhi and Ambedkar
PART - B
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION:
Unit I: 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.
Unit II: Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation. Reason, Revelation and Faith.
Unit III: Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western). Religion without God. Religion and Morality.
Unit IV: Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth. Nature of Religious Language: Analogical
