Philosophy Optional · Paper II · Philosophy of Religion
Religion and Morality Notes · PYQs
Free notes and every UPSC previous year question for Religion and Morality, Unit 18 of Paper II, Section B: the official syllabus, 9 topic-wise notes in syllabus order, and all 27 questions from 2000 to 2026 grouped by sub-topic.
9
Free notes
27
Questions listed
20
Asked since 2013
2000–2026
Years covered
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Syllabus Free notes Previous year questions All Philosophy units
Official UPSC syllabus
Religion and Morality: 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.
Religion and Morality.
Paper II · Section B · Unit 18
Religion and Morality 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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Religion and Morality: Meaning, the Possible Relations, Autonomy, Heteronomy and Theonomy, Interdependence, and How Each Religion Grounds Its Ethics
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Can There Be Religion without Morality? Magic and Taboo, Ritualism, Antinomian Sects, Salvation by Grace Alone, Beyond Good and Evil and Kierkegaard’s Teleological Suspension
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Does Morality Depend on Religion? Divine Command Theory, the Euthyphro Dilemma, Natural Law and Modified Divine Command Theory, and Does Obligation Need a Lawgiver?
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The Autonomy of Morality: Kant’s Good Will, Autonomy vs Heteronomy, Morality Leading to Religion, Arnold, Braithwaite, Dewey and Freud, and Moral Autonomy vs Religion
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Secular Ethics and Why Be Moral? Dostoevsky’s Challenge, Foundations of Secular Morality, Religious vs Secular Ethics, the Virtuous Atheist and the Is–Ought Gap
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Religion, Social Morality and Individual Freedom: Religiosity and Immorality, Devotion vs Social Morality, Article 25 and Constitutional Morality, and Pluralism without Relativism
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The Critics of Religious Morality: Nietzsche’s Death of God, Master and Slave Morality, Freud’s Illusion, Marx’s Opium, Feuerbach’s Projection, Russell, Cārvāka and Periyar
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Religion and Morality in Indian Thought: Ṛta, Dharma and Karma, Mīmāṃsā, Nyāya, Buddhism, Jainism, the Gītā and Advaita, Karma as a Moral Postulate and Is Dharma Independent of Īśvara?
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Gandhi’s Truth Is God and Modern Indian Thinkers on Religion and Morality: Vivekananda, Tagore, Radhakrishnan, Aurobindo, Ambedkar’s Dhamma, Gora and the Unit Synthesis
Free practice
Previous year questions: Religion and Morality
All 27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Religion Without Morality | 4 | 2 | 2024 |
| Morality Without Religion | 4 | 3 | 2016 |
| Autonomy and Freedom | 3 | 3 | 2026 |
| Divine Command & Obligation | 3 | 1 | 2025 |
| Interrelation | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Religion vs Social Morality | 3 | 3 | 2020 |
| Secular Ethics | 3 | 2 | 2019 |
| Gandhi · Truth is God | 1 | 1 | 2026 |
| Nietzsche · Critique | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Religious Authority | 1 | 1 | 2017 |
| Is and Ought | 1 | 1 | 2014 |
Religion Without Morality
4 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2024
Asked since 2013 · 2
2024Can there be a religion without morality? Discuss. (10 marks)2022“One can have morality without religion but not religion without morality.” Discuss? (10 marks)
Show 2 earlier questions (before 2013)
2008–2012 · 2 questions
2012I can be moral without being religious, but I cannot be religious without being moral.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer (20 marks)2008Proprietary of religion without morality. Critical notes (20 marks)
Morality Without Religion
4 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2016
Asked since 2013 · 3
2016“Moral principles function better when they remain independent and unconnected with religion.” Discuss. (15 marks)2015Is morality necessarily based on religion? Discuss. (10 marks)2015“An atheist may be a better man than a religious person bereft of moral values.” Discuss. (20 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2011 · 1 question
2011Examine the view that the foundation of morality is possible only in a religious framework (15 marks)
Autonomy and Freedom
3 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 3
2026How does the issue of moral autonomy conflict with conception of religion as a source of morality? Critically discuss. (15 marks)2014How far can religious morality incorporate individual freedom? (20 marks)2013Is religious morality consistent with individual freedom? (10 marks)
Divine Command & Obligation
3 questions · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2025
Asked since 2013 · 1
2025Is it necessary for the normative principles to bear reference to God in order to produce a feeling of obligation in a moral agent? Critically discuss. (15 marks)
Show 2 earlier questions (before 2013)
2010–2012 · 2 questions
2012If God does not exist then why one should one be moral all the time?” Discuss (20 marks)2010If morality has to follow from religion, can there a rational justification for moral actions? Discuss (15 marks)
Interrelation
3 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2023
Asked since 2013 · 2
2023Does religion influence moral behavior? Explain the interactive relation between religion and morality. (10 marks)2021Do you consider that religion and morality are inseparable? Give reasons for your answer. (15 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2000 · 1 question
2000Religion and Morality (20 marks)
Religion vs Social Morality
3 questions · 3 since 2013 · last asked 2020
Asked since 2013 · 3
2020Are religious beliefs and practices incompatible with moral behaviour ? Discuss. (15 marks)2019Does a devoted commitment to a religious way of life make man go astray from social morality? Examine. (10 marks)2017Does a committed religious person go against social morality? Discuss from the moral perspective. (10 marks)
Secular Ethics
3 questions · 2 since 2013 · last asked 2019
Asked since 2013 · 2
2019Secular ethics cannot fully resolve as to why one should be moral all the time. Examine. (15 marks)2017What will be the authority and acceptance of the absolute ethical values in the non-theological system of social practices? Discuss. (15 marks)
Show 1 earlier question (before 2013)
2006 · 1 question
2006Distinguish between religious and secular ethics. Discuss in this context the view that holds that secular ethics are superior to religious ethics because religious ethics are essentially based on rules without decisive regard for consequences whereas secular ethics as their best aim at producing the best over-all consequences (60 marks)
Gandhi · Truth is God
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2026
Asked since 2013 · 1
2026Critically evaluate the shift in Gandhi’s view from ‘God is Truth’ to ‘Truth is God’, in the context of interrelation between religion and morality. (20 marks)
Nietzsche · Critique
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2025
Asked since 2013 · 1
2025Present an account of Nietzsche’s criticism of religion and morality. (10 marks)
Religious Authority
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2017
Asked since 2013 · 1
2017Can a religious person take an elastic view about religious ideals, principles and practices, etc. which are supposed to be eternal? Will it make the religion progressive or will it demolish its authority? Discuss critically. (20 marks)
Is and Ought
1 question · 1 since 2013 · last asked 2014
Asked since 2013 · 1
2014On what grounds, the dichotomy between ‘is’ and ‘ought’ can either be justified or rejected? (10 marks)
Year-wise question papers
All question papers Topic-wise PYQ bank (both papers) 2026 paper 2025 paper 2024 paper 2023 paper
Next · Paper II · Unit 19
Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth
Religious Pluralism and the Problem of Absolute Truth.
Philosophy Optional
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