Philosophy Optional · Paper I · Western Philosophy
Quine and Strawson Notes · PYQs
Free notes and every UPSC previous year question for Quine and Strawson, Unit 11 of Paper I, Section A: the official syllabus, 5 topic-wise notes in syllabus order, and all 24 questions from 2000 to 2026 grouped by sub-topic.
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24
Questions listed
16
Asked since 2013
2000–2026
Years covered
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Syllabus Free notes Previous year questions All Philosophy units
Official UPSC syllabus
Quine and Strawson: syllabus
The syllabus text for this unit in Paper I, Section A (Western Philosophy) of Philosophy Optional. Every note and question on this page maps to it.
Critique of Empiricism; Theory of Basic Particulars and Persons.
Paper I · Section A · Unit 11
Quine and Strawson notes
Topic-wise notes for this unit in syllabus order, written for UPSC Mains in plain language, with diagrams and the previous year questions on each topic.
Free notes
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Quine’s Attack on the First Dogma: the Analytic–Synthetic Distinction, the Circle of Analyticity and the Fall of the Synthetic a priori
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Quine’s Second Dogma and Empiricism without the Dogmas: Reductionism, Verification, Holism, the Web of Belief and Naturalized Epistemology
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Strawson’s Descriptive Metaphysics and Theory of Basic Particulars: Identification, Re-identification, the Spatio-Temporal Framework and Material Bodies
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Strawson’s Concept of Person: a Primitive Concept, M- and P-Predicates, and the Critique of Cartesian Dualism and the No-Ownership Theory
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Quine and Strawson Compared: Strawson vs Russell on Referring, Revisionary vs Descriptive Philosophy, Legacy and Indian Parallels
Free practice
Previous year questions: Quine and Strawson
All 24 questions UPSC has set from this unit between 2000 and 2026, grouped by sub-topic with the most-asked first, newest first within each. Questions from 2013 onwards are shown; earlier ones open on a tap.
How often UPSC asks each sub-topic
| Sub-topic | Questions | Since 2013 | Last asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawson · Persons | 6 | 4 | 2026 |
| Quine · Analytic-Synthetic | 6 | 3 | 2019 |
| Quine · Two Dogmas | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Strawson · Basic Particulars | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Quine · Holism | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Quine · A priori | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
| Strawson · M and P Predicates | 1 | 1 | 2015 |
| Strawson vs Hume on Self | 1 | 0 | 2010 |
| Quine · Reductionism | 1 | 0 | 2009 |
Strawson · Persons
6 questions · 4 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 4
2026Why are states of consciousness ascribed to anything at all and why are they ascribed to the same things to which we also ascribe physical properties? How does Strawson answer these questions in his work Individuals? (20 marks)2023Why does Strawson consider person to be a primitive concept? What implication does does it have for the mind-body dualism? Discuss. (20 marks)2018How does Strawson explain the concept of person in his philosophy? Discuss. (10 marks)2013Explain and evaluate Strawson’s arguments for his conception of the nature of a person. (10 marks)
Show 2 earlier questions (before 2013)
2003–2007 · 2 questions
2007State and discuss Strawson’s theory of Person (60 marks)2003Strawson’s notion of person as primitive (20 marks)
Quine · Analytic-Synthetic
6 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2019
Asked since 2013 · 3
2019Explain Quine’s arguments against synthetic-analytic distinction. (10 marks)2016Discuss Quine’s attack on the analytic-synthetic distinction. (10 marks)2015Elucidate Quine’s arguments to show that analyticity is not synonymity. (15 marks)
Show 3 earlier questions (before 2013)
2002–2012 · 3 questions
2012Explain critically Quine’s rejection of the analytic synthetic distinction and his subsequent philosophical arguments (15 marks)2005Quine’s criticism of analytic-synthetic distinction (20 marks)2002Quine’s attack on Analytic-Synthetic Distinction (20 marks)
Quine · Two Dogmas
4 questions · 4 since 2013 · last asked 2024
Asked since 2013 · 4
2024Explain the nature of the two dogmas that Quine refers to in his paper *Two Dogmas of Empiricism*. (15 marks)2021Critically examine Quine’s postulate of empiricism without the dogmas with reference to his ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism’. (15 marks)2017What are the two dogmas of empiricism that Quine attacks? What are his arguments against what he calls the second dogma? (15 marks)2014How far are Quine’s arguments in “Two Dogmas of Empiricism” justified ? Discuss. (10 marks)
Strawson · Basic Particulars
3 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2021
Asked since 2013 · 2
2021What according to Strawson are basic particulars? What reasons does Strawson offer to believe that ‘material bodies’ and ‘persons’ are basic particulars? Critically discuss. (15 marks)2020Evaluate the role of spatio-temporal thinking in objective thinking with reference to Strawson’s theory of basic particulars. (15 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2000 · 1 question
2000Strawson’s concept of basic particulars. (20 marks)
Quine · Holism
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2025
Asked since 2013 · 1
2025“We can affirm the truth of any sentence in our total system, in the face of whatever experience, just so long as we are prepared to make adjustments elsewhere.” Discuss this statement in the light of Quine’s ‘Two Dogmas of Empiricism’. (15 marks)
Quine · A priori
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2018
Asked since 2013 · 1
2018How 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 marks)
Strawson · M and P Predicates
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2015
Asked since 2013 · 1
2015Strawson’s distinction between ‘M’ and ‘P’ predicates. (10 marks)
Strawson vs Hume on Self
1 question · 0 since 2013 · last asked 2010
2010 · 1 question
2010Is Strawson’s concept of person a refutation of Hume’s concept of self? Discuss (30 marks)
Quine · Reductionism
1 question · 0 since 2013 · last asked 2009
2009 · 1 question
2009What are Quine’s objections with regards to the verification theory of meaning? (30 marks)
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