DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Category 1

Philosophy Courses for Undergraduate Programme of study with Philosophy as

a Single Core Discipline
(B.A. Honours in Philosophy in three years)

CREDIT DISTRIBUTION, ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REQUISITES OF THE COURSE

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE COURSE -10 (DSC - 10) – Texts of Indian Philosophy

Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre-requisite

title & course criteria of the course
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ (if any)
Practice
Textual 4 3 1 Nil Enrolment “Indian
study of in BA Hons Philosophy”
Indian Philosophy Sem 1
Philosophy
DSC 10

Learning Objectives
The Learning Objectives of this course are as follows:

• The paper introduces the seminal ideas regarding epistemology in the Indian tradition
• The readings will enhance the study of the diverse streams of thought in Indian
epistemology
• The course will aim at analysing the main arguments surrounding the reasons for accepting
one means of knowledge or another in Indian philosophical schools of thought

Learning outcomes

The Learning Outcomes of this course are as follows:

• It will enable students to gain knowledge about perception and inference in Indian
philosophy in the Buddhist and Nyaya tradition
• Students will be able to critically analyse the arguments on each side of the debate regarding
the key schools of Indian philosophy
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 • Students will be able to evaluate the modern significance of these debates
• Students will be able to apply their knowledge to current debates in perception and
inference.

Unit I Introduction (9 hours, 3 weeks)

1. Subject matter and Purpose of the Text (SamyagjñānpūrvikāPurūṣārthsidhhi)

2. Definition of Right knowledge (AvisaṁvādakjñānamAnadhigatjñānam)
3. Kind of Sources of Knowledge (DwividhamSamyagjñānam)

Essential/Recommended Readings

Nyāyabindu of Dharmakīrti with Dharmottara’sṬīkā chapter I :Perception (Pratyakṣa)

Th. Stcherbatsky, Buddhist Logic, Volume II, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited,
Indian edition, 2008 (1993), pp. 1-25. Hindi translation and annotation by Srinivasa Shastri:
Nyāyabindu-ṭīkā of Dharmottara with Nyāyabindu of Dharmakīrti, Meerut: SahityaBhandar, 1975.

Unit II Perception and Knowledge (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Definition of Perception (KalpanāpoḍhamabhrāntamPratyakṣam)

2. Varieties of Direct Knowledge (Indriya-jñānam, Mānas-pratyakṣa, Sva-saṁvedanam, Yogi-
jñānam)
3. Object of Direct Knowledge (Svalakṣanam, Arthkriyākāritvam)

Essential/Recommended Reading
Nyāyabindu of Dharmakīrti with Dharmottara’sṬīkā chapter I :Perception (Pratyakṣa)
Th. Stcherbatsky, Buddhist Logic, Volume II, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited,
Indian edition, 2008 (1993), pp. 25-46. Hindi translation and annotation by Srinivasa Shastri:
Nyāyabindu-ṭīkā of Dharmottara with Nyāyabindu of Dharmakīrti, Meerut: SahityaBhandar, 1975.

Unit III Inference (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Definition of Inference (Tat-pūrvakamAnumānam)

2. Criticism by Cārvāka
3. Criticism by Bauddha

Essential/Recommended readings

NyāyaMañjarī, Ahnika II, Section on 'Inference'' Jayant Bhatta's Nyaya-Manjari, trans. Janaki Vallabha
Bhattacharyya. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1978, pp. 226- 246.

Unit IV Types of Inference (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Types of Inference (Pūrvavat, Śeṣvat and Samānyatodṛst)

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 2. Distinction between the Śeṣvattype and Samānyatodṛṣtatype

Essential/Recommended readings.

NyāyaMañjarī, Ahnika II, Section on 'Inference'' Jayant Bhatta's Nyaya-Manjari, trans. Janaki Vallabha
Bhattacharyya. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, 1978, pp. 265-284.

Suggestive Readings

Th. Stcherbatsky, Buddhist Logic, Volume II, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private
Limited, Indian edition, 2008 (1993), pp. 1-46. Hindi translation and annotation by Srinivasa
Shastri: Nyāyabindu-ṭīkā of Dharmottara with Nyāyabindu of Dharmakīrti, Meerut:
SahityaBhandar, 1975.
Jayant Bhatta's Nyaya-Manjari, trans. Janaki Vallabha Bhattacharyya. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass,
1978, pp. 261-284.
Bharadwaja, Vijay ( 1997), "Logic and Language in Indian Philosophy" in Brian Carr& Indira
Mahalingam (eds), Companion Encylopedia of Asian Philosophy. London & New York:
Routledge, pp. 230-250.
Bilimoria, Purushottama (2018), "Pramana Epistemology: Origins and Developments" in
Routledge History of World Philosophies:History of Indian Philosophy. Ed.
PurushottamaBilimoria. London & New York: Routledge, pp. 27-39.
Dunne, John. (2004), Foundations of Dharmakīrti's Philosophy, New York.
Potter, Karl H. (ed) ( 1977). Encyclopaedia of Indian Philosophies: Vol.II. Indian Metaphysics and
Epistemology: The Tradition of Nyaya-VaisesikauptoGangesa. Delhi: Motilal Banardidass
Publishers Private Limited.
Shaw, J.L. ( 2018), The Nyaya on Inference and Fallacies" in Routledge History of World
Philosophies:History of Indian Philosophy. Ed. PurushottamaBilimoria. London & New York:
Routledge, pp. 184-194.

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 DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE COURSE -11 (DSC - 11) – Texts of Western Philosophy

CREDIT DISTRIBUTION, ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REQUISITES OF THE COURSE

Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre-requisite

title & course criteria of the course
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ (if any)
Practice
Textual 4 3 1 Nil Enrolment “Western
study of in BA Hons Philosophy:
Western Philosophy Descartes to
Philosophy Kant”: Sem III
DSC 11

Learning Objectives

• This course aims at introducing the students to fundamental issues that have been raised in
contemporary western philosophy
• This course will provide a historical framework to the student through the study of key texts
from the field of western philosophy
• This course will discuss philosophers like Kant, Heidegger, Nagel etc keeping in mind
debates related to knowledge, being, ethics, etc, hence, providing rounded knowledge to the
student
Learning Outcomes

• The student will learn to analyze philosophical debates by location them in their right
historical framework
• The student will acquire the necessary knowledge to progress responsibly in the study of
western philosophy
• The student will understand the philosophical origin of many of the concepts that are in
current debate in the area of expertise concerned.

Unit1: Key Themes (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Kant’s introduction and its themes

2. The Framework of Kant
3. Nietzsche’s critique

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Essential/recommended reading

Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason’s Introduction (Translated by Norman Kemp

Smith, London : The Macmillan Press, 1978), pp.41-62.
Friedrich Nietzsche’s BeyondGoodandEvil (London:Penguin Classics,1975), ChapterI, pp.5-33.

Unit 2: The Nature of Thinking (9 hours, 3 weeks)

1. The Nature of thought

2. Thought and the world

3. Heidegger’s take on the nature of thought

Essential/recommended reading

1. Heidegger, Martin. What is Called Thinking? (New York : Harper & Row Publishers; 1968
), PartI: Lecture1, pp. 3-18.

Unit3: Thinking without Mirroring (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Grasping the world

2. The Mind as Mirror

3. Knowing without Mirroring

Rorty, Richard. Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (Princeton: Princeton UniversityPress;
2017),Introduction and Chapter8.

Unit4:The Defence of Reason (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Reason in Philosophy

2. Reasons against reason

3. The stand of reason

Essential/recommended reading

Thomas Nagel, The Last Word (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997), Introduction, pp.1-11.

Suggestive Reading

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Kant’s, Immanuel. Critique of Pure Reason’s (Translated by Norman Kemp Smith, London, The
Macmillan Press, 1978).
Nietzsche, F. Beyond Good and Evil(London: Penguin Classics, 1975).
Heidegger, Martin. What is Called Thinking? (New York : Harper & Row Publishers, 1968 ).
Rorty, R. Philosophy and the Mirror of the Nature (Princeton: Princeton
UniversityPress,1979).
Thomas, Nagel. The Last Word(Oxford: OxfordUniversityPress,1997).

DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC CORE COURSE – 12 (DSC-12): Truth Functional Logic

CREDIT DISTRIBUTION, ELIGIBILITY AND PRE-REQUISITES OF THE COURSE

Course Credits Credit distribution of the Eligibility Pre-requisite

title & course criteria of the course
Code Lecture Tutorial Practical/ (if any)
Practice
Truth- 4 3 1 Nil Enrolment None
Functional in BA Hons
Logic Philosophy
DSC 12

Learning Objectives

• This paper aims to equip the students with an understanding of basic logical concepts in
modern logical theory
• This paper helps to enhance the student’s reasoning capacity and problem-solving skills.
• In this paper students will learn to appreciate disciplined and rigorous thinking as applied to
arguments in natural language
• The paper is designed to help students understand the power of a deductive theory and also
the importance of the notion of deduction

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course:

1. Students will be able to evaluate arguments symbolized in truth functional notation.
2. Students will learn to use proof system for both sentential logic and predicate logic to
construct derivations for valid arguments.

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 3. Students will be able to formulate counterexamples for invalid arguments symbolized in the
notations of predicate logic.
4. Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
UNIT 1: LOGIC OF COMPOUND PROPOSITIONS (Sentential) (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Logical Connectives: Conjunction, Negation and Disjunction; Interdefinability Stroke

function
2. Truth Tables for Logical Connectives
3. Symbolisation and Translation; Arguments and Argument forms
4. Truth table Method; Shorter Truth Table method (Reductio ad absurdum)

UNIT II: PROVING VALIDITY (PROOF PROCEDURES) (12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Derivation Rules: Rules of Inference and Rules of Replacement

2. Formal Proof of Validity
3. Indirect Proof of Validity
4. Conditional Proof of Validity (strengthened rule)

UNIT III: LOGIC OF SINGULAR/ UNIVERSAL PROPOSITIONS(12 Hours, 4 Weeks)

1. Symbolization of Categorical Propositions

2. The Four Rules of Inference (Quantification Rules)
3. Restrictions on Quantifier Rules:
(a) Special Restriction on UG (b) Special Restriction on EI
4. Proving Validity

UNIT- IV Quantification Theory (9 Hours, 3 Weeks)

Proving Invalidity
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Essential Recommended Reading:

Copi, I.M. Introduction to Logic, 14thand 15thEdition. India: Pearson, 2013, 2019.

Suggestive Readings:
• Hurley, Patrick. Introduction to Logic. Delhi :Wordsworth, 2007.
• Jeffrey, R. Formal Logic: Its scope and limits. U.S.A: MacGraw Hill, 1967.
• Quine, W.V.O. Methods of Logic. London: Routledge, 1965.
• Sen, Madhucchanda. Logic. Delhi: Pearson, 2008.
• Copi, I.M. Symbolic Logic, 5th edition. India: Pearson, 2008.
• Chakraborty, C. Logic: Informal, Symbolic and Inductive. Prentice-Hall of India Pvt.
Limited, New Delhi, 2006.
• Jetli& Prabhakar. Logic. India: Pearson, 2012