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Course Title: Schools of Indian Philosophy
Semester III
Credits: 3
Code: UAPHI302
Marks: 100
Total Lectures: 45
The OBJECTIVES of the course on Indian philosophy are :
a) To acquaint students with the basic philosophical questions that philosophers in India
have addressed.
b) To equip students with argumentative and analytical skills involved in philosophical
reasoning .
c) To encourage a spirit of rationality in philosophizing while appreciating and respecting diffe ring philosophical systems and perspectives .
Unit 1. Introduction and Beginnings (12 lectures)
Vedic Cosmology , Upanishadic philosophy (Brahman, atman and world) , various classifications
of schools of Indian Philosophy, Introduction to six Darsanas (General features of the Darsanas )
Unit 2 Carvaka Philosophy (11 lectures)
Metaphysics (denial self, liberation and God ), Epistemology (perception as the only valid source
of knowledge, Rejection of inference and testimony ), Ethics (Hedonism )
Unit 3. Jaina philosophy (11 lectures)
Metaphysics (classification of reality ), Epistemology (Syadavada, anekantavada) , Ethics
(Triratnas; Anuvrata and Mahavrata)
Unit 4. Buddhist philosophy (11 lectures)
Three signs of reality (impermanence, suffering and non- substantialism) , Theory of No- Self
(anatmavada), Ethics (Four Noble Truths , Eight -fold path)
Semester End Exam Evaluation [100 marks]
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References and reading list
• Bishop, Donald (ed.) Indian Thought: An Introduction (New Delhi: Wiley Eastern
Private Ltd., 1975)
• Chattopadhyay D.P., Lokayata : A Study in Ancient Indian Materialism (people ’s
Publishing House; Third edition (2006)
• Deussen, Paul . Outlines of Indian Philosophy (New Delhi: Crest Publishing House,
1996)
• Gethin, Rupert . The Foundations of Buddhism (Oxford University Press, 1998)
• Glasenapp, Helmuth Von. Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation (Delhi: Motilal
Banarasidas Publishers , 1998)
• Gokhale, Pradeep P Lokayata/Carvaka OUP, New Delhi, 2015
• Nagin shah. Jaina philosophy and religion , Motilal Banarsidass, (2001)
• Hiriyan na, M. Outlines of Indian Philosophy (Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas, 1993)
• Humphreys, Christmas . The Buddhist Way of Life (New Delhi: Indus Publishers ,
1993)
• Raju, T. The Philosophical Traditions of India (London: George Allen & Unwin
Ltd., 1971)
• Sangharakshita .The Essential Teachings of the Buddha (New Delhi: New Age
Books, 2000)
• Shah Nathubhai . Jainism: The World of Conquerors (Delhi: Motilal Banarasidas
Publishers, 1999)
• Srinivas achari, P.N. Ethical Philosophy of the Gita (Madras: SriRamakrishna
Matt, 2001)
S.Y.B.A. Philosophy Paper III
Course Title: Greek and Medieval Philosophy
Semester IV
Credits: 3
Code: UAPHI402
Marks: 100
Total Lectures: 45
The objectives of the course are :
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a) To acquaint students with the basic philosophical questions that philosophers in the
Greek and medieval tradition have addressed.
b) To equip students with argumentative and analytical skills involved in philosophical
reasoning .
c) To encourage a spirit of rationality in philosophizing while appreciating and respecting
differing philosophical systems and perspectives .
Unit- 1 Pre-Socratic s and sophists (11 lectures)
Natural philosophers (Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes) , the problem of change
(Parmenides and Heraclites) , Pluralists (Empedocles , Anaxagoras, Democritus), Sophists
(Epistemology and ethics )
Unit- 2.Socrates and Plato (11 lectures)
Socratic Method, Socratic definition , Plato’s theory of knowledge, criticisms against sense
perception, t heory of For ms
Unit- 3 Aristotle and Hellenistic Philosophy (11 lectures)
Aristotle’s theory of Causation (reference to the notion of teleology) , Form and Matter; actuality
and potentiality , Stoicism (Epictetus ), Skepticism (Sextus Empiricus )
Unit- 4.Medieval Philosophy (12 lectures)
Peter Abelard ( Relationship between reason and faith), Islamic Philosophy (School of reason
Mu'tazilites of Ibn Rushd) , school of faith (Asharites of Al Ghazali) , Moses Maimonides (Philosophy
and Theology)
Semester End Exam Evalua tion [100 marks]
References and reading list
• Annas, Julia. Ancient Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction ( Oxford University
Press, 2000)
• Barnes, Jonathan. Early Greek Philosophy ,(Penguin; Revised edition 2002)
• Elrouayheb K, SChmidtke S, Oxford handbook of Islamic Philosophy, Oxford
University Press, 2017
• G. S. Kirk and J. E. Raven. The Pre -Socratic Philosophers. ( Cambridge University
Press , 1957)
• Grube, G. M. Plato’s Thought (London: Methuen, 1935)
• Guthrie, W. K. C. 1962, 1965, 1969, A History of Greek Philosophy , Vols. I, II, and
III, IV, V, VI (Cambridge University Press . 1962, 1965, 1969)
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• Jones, W.T. A History of Western Philosophy: The Medieval Mind (Harcourt,
Brace and World, Inc. 1969)
• Michael Marmura, Etienne Gilson . 'Al Ghazali,The incoherence of the
Philosophers' ( University of Chicago Press 1998)
• Osborne, Catherine. 2004 PreSocratic Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction
(Oxford University Press 2004)
• Simon van den Bergh Tahafut al tahafat’( Gibb Memorial Trus t; 2008 )
• Stace, W.T. A Critical History of Greek Philosophy (Macmillan, 1985 , 1992)
• Stumpf, S.E. & Fieser, J. Philosophy: History and Problems (McGraw -Hill, 1971)
• Walsh, Martin A History of Philosophy (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1985)
• Frederick Copleston A History of Philosophy (volumes 1, 2, 3) Image 1993
• Gunnar Skirbekk and Nils Gilje History of Western Thought Routledge, 2001
• D.J. O’Connor Critical History of Western Philosophy Free Press, 1985
Relevant entries from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (on line source)