Philosophy Optional Syllabus for UPSC CSE Mains 2026

Philosophy Optional Syllabus for UPSC CSE Main

Tabulated below is the syllabus for the Philosophy Optional Paper I and II. Philosophy Optional Paper I tests Indian and Western philosophy and Paper II tests Socio-Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion. Read on for the detailed philosophy optional syllabus.

Paper I: History and Problems of Philosophy
Plato and Aristotle	Ideas; Substance; Form and Matter; Causation; Actuality and Potentiality
Rationalism (Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz)	Cartesian Method and Certain Knowledge; Substance; God; Mind-Body Dualism; Determinism and Freedom
Empiricism (Locke, Berkeley, Hume)	Theory of Knowledge; Substance and Qualities; Self and God; Scepticism.
Kant	Possibility of Synthetic a priori Judgments; Space and Time; Categories; Ideas of Reason; Antinomies; Critique of Proofs for the Existence of God
Hegel	Dialectical Method; Absolute Idealism
Moore, Russell, and Early Wittgenstein	Defense of Commonsense; Refutation of Idealism; Logical Atomism; Logical Constructions; Incomplete Symbols; Picture Theory of Meaning; Saying and Showing
Logical Positivism	Verification Theory of Meaning; Rejection of Metaphysics; Linguistic Theory of Necessary Propositions.
Later Wittgenstein	Meaning and Use; Language- games; Critique of Private Language.
Phenomenology (Husserl)	Method; Theory of Essences; Avoidance of Psychologism
Existentialism (Kierkegaard, Sartre, Heidegger)	Existence and Essence; Choice, Responsibility and Authentic Existence; Being-in-the-world and Temporality
Quine and Strawson	Critique of Empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons
Carvaka	Theory of Knowledge; Rejection of Transcendent Entities
Jainism	Theory of Reality; Saptabhaòginaya; Bondage and Liberation
Schools of Buddhism	Pratîtyasamutpada; Ksanikavada, Nairatmyavada
Nyaya- Vaiúesika	Theory of Categories; Theory of Appearance; Theory of Pramana; Self, Liberation; God; Proofs for the Existence of God; Theory of Causation; Atomistic Theory of Creation
Samkhya	Prakrti; Purusa; Causation; Liberation
Yoga	Citta; Cittavrtti; Klesas; Samadhi; Kaivalya.
Mimamsa	Theory of Knowledge
Schools of Vedanta	Brahman; Îúvara; Atman; Jiva; Jagat; Maya; Avidya; Adhyasa; Moksa; Aprthaksiddhi; Pancavidhabheda
Aurobindo	Evolution, Involution; Integral Yoga.

Philosophy Optional Paper-II Syllabus
Socio-Political Philosophy	Social and Political Ideals: Equality, Justice, Liberty. Sovereignty: Austin, Bodin, Laski, Kautilya. Individual and State: Rights; Duties and Accountability Forms of Government: Monarchy; Theocracy and Democracy. Political Ideologies: Anarchism; Marxism and Socialism Humanism; Secularism; Multiculturalism. Crime and Punishment: Corruption, Mass Violence, Genocide, Capital Punishment. Development and Social Progress. Gender Discrimination: Female Foeticide, Land, and Property Rights; Empowerment. Caste Discrimination: Gandhi and Ambedkar
Philosophy of Religion	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). The Problem of Evil. Soul: Immortality; Rebirth and Liberation. Reason, Revelation, and Faith. Religious Experience: Nature and Object (Indian and Western). Religion without God. Religion and Morality. Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth. Nature of Religious Language: Analogical and Symbolic; Cognitivist and Noncognitive.

How to prepare for the Philosophy Optional in UPSC Mains?

Broadly, philosophy is divided into four parts, namely Western Philosophy, Indian Philosophy, Social-political philosophy, and religious philosophy. Let’s look at the preparation strategy for each of these:

Western Philosophy and Indian Philosophy: Both these topics are a part of Paper-1 of the optional paper. In this paper, you’ll have to attempt 5 out of 8 questions, along with 2 compulsory questions from each of these sub-parts of the paper. You can cover Indian Philosophy by reading An Introduction to Indian Philosophy by Satishchandra Chatterjee and A Critical History of Western Philosophy: Greek, Medieval, and Modern by Yakub Masih.
Social-political philosophy and Religious Philosophy: These two form the core parts for Paper-II of the optional subject of philosophy. To prepare these, refer to the Hindu editorial as well as articles from monthly magazines like Yojana and Kurukshetra. The discourse around the important philosophical topics is often a part of the Hindu editorial.
Practice answer-writing: After a thorough preparation of the above-mentioned topics, indulge yourself in answer-writing. Use your notes to write answers and get them evaluated by your mentors and experts.
Refer to toppers’ answer scripts: Refer to the answer copies of toppers to get an idea of how your answers should be and practice answer writing along the same lines.

Enroll in Test Series: Enroll in a Test Series so that you can get your answers evaluated and get feedback from experts and mentors.

Booklist for Philosophy Optional For UPSC

The correct books are extremely important to prepare for the philosophy optional adequately. Below is a recommended booklist for both Paper I and Paper II, to ensure smooth preparation.

Booklist for Philosophy Optional For UPSC
Booklist for Philosophy Optional 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
Booklist for Philosophy Optional 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

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of choosing Philosophy as an Optional Subject?

Philosophy optional has a concise syllabus which overlaps with the syllabus of GS IV (Ethics) paper. It is also a scoring choice.Candidates can score well in the subject through a strong conceptual understanding of the subject and writing well-structured answers.

Is Philosophy optional syllabus short compared to the syllabus of other optionals?

Yes philosophy optional syllabus is concise as compared to syllabus of other optional subjects. It is theoretically dense, however, it is short and can be covered in a short period of time.

Can I prepare the philosophy optional syllabus through self study?

Yes, it is possible to prepare the philosophy optional syllabus through self study, if one has a dedicated mindset and can keep oneself accountable. Here are some tips to help you do so.

Know the syllabus well: Having a good understanding of the syllabus can help make your preparation a lot more efficient and streamlined.

Have a reading list: Know exactly what books are required for the philosophy optional syllabus preparation. The recommended booklist is provided above.

Practise PYQs thoroughly: Go through the PYPs thoroughly before beginning preparation. Know exactly what kinds of questions asked, this will help you to know how and what to study.

Make a structured studying and revision schedule: The most challenging part about self studying is keeping oneself on track and accountable.Make a month-wise study plan to cover the syllabus and revise, then stick to it.

Self assessment: Dedicate enough time to self assessment and take enough mock tests. You could enroll in a test series or practise PYQs for this.

Get regular feedback: Since writing good answers is a critical part of scoring well in the optional subject paper, it is essential that you have someone who can evaluate your answers and give you constructive feedback. This could be a mentor or a senior.

How to Prepare Philosophy Optional for UPSC | Syllabus, Booklist & Strategy for Philosophy Optional UPSC

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