Philosophy Optional Question Paper 2018

The UPSC Philosophy Optional Question Paper 2018 for the Civil Services Mains examination is reproduced below in full: Philosophy Paper-I and Paper-II, Section A and Section B, with verbatim official questions and marks for every question as UPSC printed them. For topic-wise categorization across past 25+ years, explore our comprehensive repository on Philosophy Optional Topic-Wise PYQs. You can also refer to the complete Philosophy Optional Syllabus for detailed micro-topic mappings.

Philosophy Optional Question Paper-I (2018)

Time Allowed: Three Hours · Maximum Marks: 250
Eight questions divided into two sections. Question 1 and Question 5 are compulsory, and three more are to be attempted choosing at least one from each section.

Section ‘A’: History and Problems of Philosophy (Western Philosophy)

1. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
   (a) Are the two truths-“The Sun will rise tomorrow” and ‘2+2-4′ of the same necessity for Hume? Give reasons in favour of your answer. 10
   (b) Is there any place for freedom in Leibniz’s philosophy, when he speaks of “pre-established harmony’? Discuss. 10
   (c) How does the notion of ‘family resemblance’ help Wittgenstein to uphold that ‘Language is a game’? Discuss. 10
   (d) How does Sartre connect inauthenticity with bad faith? Why does Sartre show that inauthenticity and bad faith lead to alienation? Discuss. 10
   (e) How does Strawson explain the concept of person in his philosophy? Discuss. 10
2. (a) What is the reason for the difference in the definitions and classifications of substances made by Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz in spite of the fact that they all belonged to the rationalist school of thought? Discuss. 20
   (b) Explain the significance of the Kantian dictum, ‘Understanding makes Nature’. How far do you agree that Hegel’s Absolutism is the culmination of the Kantian Dualism? Discuss. Give reasons in favour of your answer. 15
   (c) How does Quine show that the notion of a prior knowledge as discussed by Kant is a metaphysical article of faith’? Give reasons for your answer. 15
3. (a) How does Berkeley establish that Mind and its ideas alone are real? How do Moore and Russell react to Berkeley’s view in this regard? Do you find any difference between Moore’s reaction and Russell’s one? Discuss. 20
   (b) How do the logical positivists show that metaphysical sentences are meaningless? Can their verification theory of meaning account for the meaningfulness of all scientific sentences? Discuss. 15
   (c) How does Wittgenstein apply the distinction between ‘saying’ and ‘showing’ to point to a single way of apprehending the most decisive problems of philosophy? Is he justified? Give reasons for your answer. 15
4. (a) What is Epoché? How does Heidegger reject this method of phenomenological reduction? Explain Heidegger’s concept of ‘being in the world’ as opposed to the concept of a transcendental ego. 20
   (b) Is the relation between the Idea and the World as discussed by Plato logically consistent? Discuss Aristotle’s views regarding this and also give arguments in favour of your answer. 15
   (c) How is Russell’s theory of definite description related to his Logical Atomisin? Discuss and give reasons for your answer. 15

Section ‘B’: History and Problems of Philosophy (Indian Philosophy)

5. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
   (a) How do the Vaišeshika philosophers explain the difference of the relationships in the Iwo cases-(i) the brown color of the table and (ii) the book on the table? Discuss. 10
   (b) How do the Madhyamika Buddhists apply the notion of Pratityasamutpada to establish their doctrine of Sunyata? Discuss. 10
   (c) What is the difference between the indescribability (Anirvacaniyata) of Brahman and the indescribability (Anirvacaniyata) of Maya in the Advaita Vedanta system? Discuss 10
   (d) How do the Buddhists and the Nyaya philosophers explain our knowledge of ‘the absence of the jar on the table’? Answer in detail. 10
   (e) Is Purusa one or many? Explain the Sámkhya position in this regard and give arguments in support of your answer. 10
6. (a) How do the Naiyayikas prove the existence of God? Do the Yoga philosophers prove God in the same way? If yes, how? And if not, why? Give reasons for your answer. 20
   (b) Is it consistent for the Buddhists to admit the theory of Nairatmyavada and the doctrine of Nirvana simultaneously? Give reasons in favour of your answer. 15
   (c) How do the Jaina philosophers explain ‘bondage’? What, according to them, is the distinction between “liberated soul’ and ‘bound soul’? What do the Jainas think about the condition of the ‘liberated soul’? Discuss. 15
7. (a) Give a comparative cxposition of the concept of Moksa as found in the systems of Višistadvaita, Dvaita, Suddhadvaita and Acintyabhedabheda. 20
   (b) How do the Advaita Vedantins react to the Prakritiparinamavada of the Samkhya philosophy? How do the Särhkhyas defend their own position in this regard? Discuss. 15
   (c) How does Ramanuja refute the doctrine of Maya as propounded by Shankara? Why is Maya needed by both Råmånuja and Shankara to establish their doctrines? Discuss. 15
8. (a) Does the admission of Svayamprakashavada necessarily lead to the admission of Svatahpramanyavada? Discuss after the Naiyayikas, the Mimamsakas and the Advaita Vedantins. 20
   (b) Is Carvaka rejection of inference acceptable to the other systems of Indian philosophy? If not, why? Do you think the views of other systems to be justified? Give reasons for your answer. 15
   (c) What is Evolution according to Sri Aurobindo? Describe the process of triple transformation and the nature of gnostic being in his philosophy. 15

Philosophy Optional Question Paper-II (2018)

Time Allowed: Three Hours · Maximum Marks: 250
Eight questions divided into two sections. Question 1 and Question 5 are compulsory, and three more are to be attempted choosing at least one from each section.

Section ‘A’: Socio-Political Philosophy

1. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
   (a) What is meant by liberal democracy? Does it require deeper principles for social cohesion to balance its own strong affirmation of individual rights? Give reasons from the Indian context. 10
   (b) Do you subscribe to the view that Indian cultural identity needs to integrate the principles of multi-culturalism and respect for the dignity of each person? Justify your answer. 10
   (c) It is said that the traditional hold of caste-based groups on Indian social behaviour has survived all attempts to build alternate identities. Discuss in the light of M.K. Gandhi. 10
   (d) Discuss Kautilya’s concept of sovereignty in the light of Danda-neeti’. 10
   (e) What measures do you suggest to eradicate corruption in Indian democracy? 10
2. (a) How far can liberty and equality be considered as distinctive features of democracy? Discuss. 20
   (b) Critically evaluate Laski’s view on sovereignty as a satisfactory position in political theory. 15
   (c) Do you subscribe to the political ideology of Anarchists? Justify your answer. 15
3. (a) What do you understand by multi-culturalism? How are globalization and multi-culturalism related? How does their relationship affect cultural changes? 20
   (b) । Are Marxian Socialism and individual freedom consistent? Discuss critically. 15
   (c) What form of humanism do you approve of as relevant in the present-day context? Discuss in detail. 15
4. (a) “Human rights and human dignity would no longer be the product of a particular culture, rather a common human aspiration for an ideal world.” Discuss. 20
   (b) How do you evaluate gender discrimination in the context of female foeticide? 15
   (c) Is feminism an ideology for empowerment or for equality? Discuss. 15

Section ‘B’: Philosophy of Religion

5. Answer the following questions in about 150 words each: 10×5=50
   (a) In what sense is the secular use of language different from the religious use of language? Discuss. 10
   (b) How far is it plausible to argue that the anti-theistic religions’ stand on the concept of rebirth is philosophically significant? 10
   (c) Can you justify religion without God? Support your answer. 10
   (d) Can one claim that there is an inter-relatedness between ‘religiosity’ and ‘immorality’? Discuss. 10
   (e) Is Hinduism poly-theistic? Give reasons for your answer. 10
6. (a) Distinguish between Exclusivism, Inclusivism and Pluralism with regard to the conflicting truth-claims of different religions. 20
   (b) “Truth is one, yet people perceive differently.” Critically evaluate by considering the present Indian context. 15
   (c) Does the concept of God entail the existence of God? Examine from the perspective of ontological argument. 15
7. (a) The terms “Sacred’ and ‘Holy’ have come to serve as generic names for the object of religion. Do you agree that one can have God as the object of religion? Discuss. 20
   (b) Critically examine Braithwaite’s non-cognitive theory of religious language. 15
   (c) Evaluate the concept of Bhakti (Devotion) as a pathway to attain liberation. 15
8. (a) Compare St. Thomas Aquinas’ five ways of knowing God with the arguments of the Nyaya School of Indian Philosophy for the existence of God. 20
   (b) Critically evaluate the Buddhistic arguments against the existence of God as the creator of the world. 15
   (c) Explain the significance of religious symbols as transcendent referent that mediates into the cultural, spatial and temporal world. 15

Related Philosophy Optional Resources

• Philosophy Optional Portal (Master Guide & Resources)
• Philosophy Optional Syllabus for UPSC Mains
• Philosophy Optional Topic-Wise PYQs (1990–2026)
• Philosophy Optional Booklist & Standard Reference Sources
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