M.A Philosophy Syllabus Part I of 2022.
Introduction
Table of Contents
The following Syllabus and Courses of Reading for M.A. Philosophy (External Students) were approved by the Board of Studies in Philosophy. The Detail syllabus of M.A Philosophy Syllabus Part I of 2021 is given below;
M.A Philosophy Syllabus Part I
List Of Part I Subjects
- Paper I History of Modern Western Philosophy
- Paper II Muslim Philosophy
- Paper III Moral Philosophy
- Paper IV Problems of Philosophy
- Paper V Logic
Paper I
History of Modern Western Philosophy
Introduction, Characteristics of Modern Philosophy, Continental Rationalism
Descartes:
- a. Method of Doubt
- b. Theory of Substance
- c. Mind-body Relationship
- d. Proofs for the Existence of God
Spinoza:
- a. Theory of Knowledge
- b. Geometrical Method
- c. Substance, Attributes & Modes
- d. Intellectual love of God
- e. Human freedom and Salvation
Leibniz:
- a. Idealism
- b. Monadology
- c. Pre-established Harmony
- d. Theory of Knowledge
- e. Optimism
British Empiricism:
Locke:
- a. Refutation of Innate Ideas
- b. Origin of Ideas
- c. Primary and Secondary Qualities
- d. Modes, Substance and Relations
Berkeley:
- a) Rejection of Abstract Ideas and of Material Substance
- b) Subjective Idealism
Hume:
- a. Impressions and Ideas
- b. Relations
- c. Rejection of Material and Mental Substances
- d. Treatment of Causality
German Idealism:
Kant:
- a. Copernican Revolution
- b. Kant’s Problem
- c. Theory of Knowledge Sensibility, Understanding and Reason
- d. Antinomies
Hegel:
- a Dialectical Method
- b. Absolute
Post-Hegelian Philosophy:
Nietzsche
- a. Revolt against Traditional Philosophy
- b. Materialism
- c. Death of Goad and Nihilism
- d. Superman and Eternal Recurrence
- e. Will to Power
Bergson:
- a. Critique of Mechanised and Teleological Theoriesof Evolution
- b. Creative Evolution
- c. Intuition and Intellect
- d. Elan Vital
William James:
- a. Pragmatic Method and its Application
- b. Voluntarism
- c. Radical Empiricism
Paper II:
MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY
Introduction: Transmission of Greek Philosophy to Muslim Culture
1. Mutazilism
- Five Basic Principles of Mutazila
- Some leading Mutazilites
- (a) Wasil Ibn Ata
- (b) Abu al Hudhail Alla
- f(c) Al- Nazzam
2. Asharism
- i. Concept of God and the nature of Divine Attribute
- ii. Free will
- iii. Problem of Evil
- iv. Problem of createdness or uncreatedness of the Quran
- v. Asharite Atomism
3. Al-Kindi
- i. Reconciliation of Philosophy and Religion
- ii. Concept of God
- iii. Theory of Intellect
4. Al- Farabi
- i. Theory of Ten Intelligences
- ii. theory of the Intellect
5. Ibn-Sina
- i. Theory of Being
- ii. Theory of Knowledge/Concept of god
- iii. Mind-Body Relationship
6. Al Ghazali
- Method
- Refutation of Philsophers
- i. Eternity of the Word
- ii. God’s Knowledge of Particulars
- iii. Reseruction of the Body
7. Ibn Rushd
- a. Reconciliation between Philosophy and Religion
- b. Metaphysics.
- c. Way to knowledge
8. Ibn Arabi:
- Doctrine of Unity of Being
Paper III:
MORAL PHILOSOPHY
1. WHAT IS MORALITY?
- a. The Problem of Definition
- b. An Example of Moral Reasoning: Body Jane Doe
- c. Reason and Impartiality
- d. The Minimum Conception of Morality
2. THE CHALLENGE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
- a. How Different Cultures Have Different Moral Codes
- b. Cultural Relativism
- c. The Cultural Differences Argument
- d. The Consequences of Taking Cultural Relativism Seriously
- e. Why There Is Less Disagreement Than It Seems
- f. How All Cultures Have Some Values in Common
- g. What Can Be Learned from Cultural Relativism
3. SUBJECTIVISM IN ETHICS
- a. The Basic Idea of Ethical Subjectivism
- b. The Evolution of the Theory
- c. The First Stage: Simple Subjectivism
- d. The Second Stag
- e: Emotivism
4. DOES MORALITY DEPEND ON RELIGION?
- a. The Presumed Connection Between Morality and Religion
- b. The Divine Command theory
- c. The Theory of Natural Law
5. THE UTILITARIAN APPROACH
- a. The Revolution in Ethics
- b. First Example: Euthanasia
- c. Second Example: Nonhuman Animals
6. ARE THERE ABSOLUTE MORAL RULES?
- a. Kant and The Categorical Imperative
- b. Absolute Rules and the Duty Not to Lie
- c. Conflicts Between Rules
- d. Another Look at Kant’s Basic Idea
7. THE ETHICS OF VIRTUE
Paper IV
PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Introduction:
- What Philosophy is and why it is worth studying
2. Knowledge :
- i. Concepts ii. Truth. iii. Sources of Knowledge. iv. What is Knowledge.
3. Cause, Determine and Freedom:
- i. What is cause. ii. The causal principle. Iii. Determinism and freedom.
4. Some Metaphysical Problems:
- i. Substance and Universals. ii. Matter and Life. iii. Mind and Body. iv.Personal Identity.
5. Our Knowledge of Physical World:
- i. Realism ii. Idealism. iii. Phenomenalism. iv. Alternatives.
Paper V
LOGIC
1. Nature of Logic:
Deduction and Induction, Truth and Validity
2. Definition:
Purposes of Definition. Verbal Disputes and Definition, Types of Definition, Rules of Definition
3. Categorical Propositions:
Kinds of Propositions, Traditional Square of Opposition, Immediate Inferences, Existential Import
4. Categorical Syllogism:
Standard Form Categorical Syllogism, Venn Diagram Technique for Testing Syllogism, Rules and Fallacies.
5. Symbolic Logic:
Value of Special Symbols, Symbols for Conjunction, Negation, and Disjunction, Conditional Statements, and Material Implication, Argument Forms and Arguments, Statement. Forms and Statements Paradoxes of Material Implication.
6. Method of Deduction:
Formal Proof of Validity, Rule of Replacement, Inconsistency.
7. Qualification Theory:
Singular Propositions, Quantification, Propositional Function subject Predicate Propositions, Proving Validity.
8. Causal Connections:
Mill’s Methods of Experimental Inquiry, Meaning of Cause, Mill’s Methods, Critique of Mill’s Methods. Defense of Mill’s Methods, Criticism of Stebbing and Russell.
9. Science and Hypothesis:
Value of Science, Explanation: Scientific and Unscientific, Evaluation of Scientific Explanation of Scientific Explanation, Crucial Experiments and Adhoc Hypotheses, Classification of Hypotheses.