Philosophy Optional · Paper II · Philosophy of Religion
Proofs for the Existence of God Notes · PYQs
Free notes and every UPSC previous year question for Proofs for the Existence of God, Unit 12 of Paper II, Section B: the official syllabus, 10 topic-wise notes in syllabus order, and all 32 questions from 2000 to 2026 grouped by sub-topic.
10
Free notes
32
Questions listed
22
Asked since 2013
2000–2026
Years covered
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Syllabus Free notes Previous year questions All Philosophy units
Official UPSC syllabus
Proofs for the Existence of God: syllabus
The syllabus text for this unit in Paper II, Section B (Philosophy of Religion) of Philosophy Optional. Every note and question on this page maps to it.
Proofs for the Existence of God and their Critique (Indian and Western).
Paper II · Section B · Unit 12
Proofs for the Existence of God 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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Can God’s Existence Be Proved? A Priori vs A Posteriori Arguments, the Map of Theistic Arguments, Pramāṇas for God, Why Religions Seek Proofs and the Fideist Challenge
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The Ontological Argument: Anselm’s Two Versions, Gaunilo’s Lost Island, Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, Kant’s “Existence Is Not a Predicate” and the Modal Revival
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Aquinas’ Five Ways: Motion, Efficient Cause, Contingency, Degrees of Perfection and Governance — Why No Infinite Regress, What Each Way Proves and Their Critique
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The Cosmological Argument beyond Aquinas: Leibniz, Clarke and the Kalām Argument, the Critique of Hume, Kant, Mill and Russell, Can Nature Be Self-Existent?, and the Indian Cosmological Argument
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The Teleological (Design) Argument: Aquinas’ Fifth Way, Paley’s Watch, Hume’s Dialogues, Kant’s Architect, Darwin, Mill, Tennant and Fine-Tuning
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The Moral Argument and Other Arguments: Kant’s Postulate, Newman, Rashdall and Lewis, Their Critics, Religious Experience, Common Consent and Pascal’s Wager
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Nyāya Proofs for Īśvara: Udayana’s Nine Arguments, the Five-Membered Inference, God as Efficient Cause and Dispenser of Karma, and Their Critique
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God in Yoga and Vedānta: the Argument from Degrees of Knowledge, Śaṅkara, Rāmānuja’s Critique of Inferential Theism and Madhva’s Arguments for God
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Indian Critiques of Theism: Cārvāka, Mīmāṃsā, Jaina, Buddhist and Sāṃkhya against the Creator God, the Jaina Proof of an Omniscient Being, and Nyāya Replies
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Western and Indian Proofs Compared — Do the Proofs Succeed? Aquinas and Udayana, Why India Has No Ontological Argument, the Limits of Reason and Cumulative Cases
Free practice
Previous year questions: Proofs for the Existence of God
All 32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmological Argument | 8 | 5 | 2026 |
| Ontological Argument | 7 | 4 | 2024 |
| Design Argument | 4 | 2 | 2025 |
| Nyaya · Proofs | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Rational Proof of God | 2 | 0 | 2012 |
| Madhva · Proofs | 1 | 1 | 2026 |
| A priori vs A posteriori | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Aquinas · Five Ways | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Moral Argument | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Jaina Critique | 1 | 1 | 2019 |
| Aquinas and Nyaya | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
| Buddhist Critique | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
| Ontological and Cosmological | 1 | 1 | 2015 |
Cosmological Argument
8 questions · 5 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 5
2026Discuss Aquinas argument from the contingency of the world to prove the existence of God. (10 marks)2017Compare and contrast the different forms of cosmological argument. (15 marks)2014Discuss cosmological argument for the existence of God, and show its merits and demerits. (15 marks)2013State and elucidate the cosmological argument for the existence of God in Western and Indian philosophy. (20 marks)2013Discuss two main objections against this argument. Are theists able to answer these satisfactorily? (15 marks)
Show 3 earlier questions (before 2013)
2007–2010 · 3 questions
2010Is contingent argument for the existence of God anything more than a logical exercise? Discuss (20 marks)2010If each and every argument has to take that its premises are true, would the causal argument for the existence of God as the first cause be different from assuming that it is true? Argue in favour of your position (20 marks)2007State and evaluate the cosmological argument for the existence of God. What are its two forms? What is the difference between a dependent being and self-existent being? Why is the self-existent being theo-centric? Can the nature itself be conceived as self. existent being? Discuss (60 marks)
Ontological Argument
7 questions · 4 since 2013 · last asked 2024
Asked since 2013 · 4
2024Present an exposition of ontological proof for the existence of God along with its criticism. (15 marks)2020It is ontological proof for the existence of God by St. Anselm logical? Discuss. (20 marks)2018Does the concept of God entail the existence of God? Examine from the perspective of ontological argument. (15 marks)2014Can it be self-contradictory to accept the idea’ of God but deny the ‘existence’ of God? (15 marks)
Show 3 earlier questions (before 2013)
2000–2008 · 3 questions
2008Different versions of ontological arguments and Kant’s critique of these arguments. Critical note (20 marks)2005If God exists only in someone’s mind, the greatest conceivable being is not after all the greatest conceivable being.” Critical notes (20 marks)2000Critically evaluate the Ontological Argument for the existence of God. (60 marks)
Design Argument
4 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2025
Asked since 2013 · 2
2025Present an account of Design argument to prove the existence of God along with its criticism by David Hume. (20 marks)2013Critically evaluate three major objections against the argument from design for the existence of God. (15 marks)
Show 2 earlier questions (before 2013)
2009–2010 · 2 questions
2010Human mind is such that it naturally observes order in nature. Given this can one use arguments from design for the existence of God? Discuss (20 marks)2009Analyse the teleological argument as a proof for the existence of God (30 marks)
Nyaya · Proofs
3 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2025
Asked since 2013 · 3
2025What proofs do Nyaya philosophers offer for the existence of God? Discuss. (15 marks)2023Critically examine the arguments of Nyaya for the existence of God. (20 marks)2015Examine the Nyaya arguments in favour of the existence of God. (15 marks)
Rational Proof of God
2 questions · 0 since 2013 · last asked 2012
2011–2012 · 2 questions
2012Can God’s existence be proved with cogent and convincing rational arguments? (12 marks)2011Why is a proof for the existence of God necessary for the growth of a religion? Discuss (15 marks)
Madhva · Proofs
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 1
2026Explain and examine Madhvacharya’s arguments for the existence of God. (15 marks)
A priori vs A posteriori
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2022
Asked since 2013 · 1
2022Discuss the main points of distinction between a priori and a posteriori arguments for the existence of God. Which one according to you should be preferred over the other? Give reasons and justifications for your answer. (20 marks)
Aquinas · Five Ways
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2022
Asked since 2013 · 1
2022Present a critical exposition of different arguments offered by St. Thomas Aquinas to prove the existence of God also known as ‘Five Ways’. Which one of them do you find philosophically most interesting? Give reasons in support of your answer. (20 marks)
Moral Argument
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2021
Asked since 2013 · 1
2021Give a critical account of moral argument to prove the existence of God. (15 marks)
Jaina Critique
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2019
Asked since 2013 · 1
2019State and evaluate the profs for the existence of God as propounded in Jainism. (10 marks)
Aquinas and Nyaya
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2018
Asked since 2013 · 1
2018Compare St. Thomas Aquinas’ five ways of knowing God with the arguments of the Nyaya School of Indian Philosophy for the existence of God. (20 marks)
Buddhist Critique
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2018
Asked since 2013 · 1
2018Critically evaluate the Buddhistic arguments against the existence of God as the creator of the world. (15 marks)
Ontological and Cosmological
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2015
Asked since 2013 · 1
2015Examine the ontological and cosmological arguments in favour of the existence of God. (15 marks)
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