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CSM 2013 Philosophy Paper Discussion

edited January 2014 in Philosophy
Fellow comrades who took Philosophy optional in CSM 2013 ,
Can you please share your experience ? How did you find the papers ? What are your expectations ?
I'm an aspirant who is doing self study on Philosophy by the books recommended here in this forum.
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Comments

  • Nobody willing to share their experience :(

    @Neyawn can you help here ?
  • Philosophy is one of the dead-est optionals discussed on this forum. No one replies. Don't expect anything here. I have been disappointed before.
  • i second woman on this one...
  • @clark_kent: it was a standard paper not too difficult .However due to lack of time I was unable to revise and hence screwd up the second paper a bit
  • Is anyone interested in discussing some of the questions?
  • Philosophy is one of the dead-est optionals discussed on this forum. No one replies. Don't expect anything here. I have been disappointed before.
    That would be correct. Surprising, given that tens of members here have taken philosophy optional.
  • edited February 2014
    My reply to Clark_kent earlier via email:- [Since I was not able to login to my ForumIAS account]

    Hello @Clark_kent

    Your name reminds me of a story :-)

    I had a journalist friend from Pakistan who ran a very famous blog with the URL http://ifclarkkentblogged.wordpress.com/. She also owned the domain http://ifclarkkentblogged.com way back until 2009 or so.

    Then Man of Steel (the movie) came where the producers though of making Clark Kent a blogger, in tune with the changing times. I did not watch the movie, but I read that some new comics on Superman has shown Clark Kent as a blogger. Meanwhile my friend's blog got bought over by the makers of Man of Steel.

    Coming to your question, Paper - 1 was fairly easy for anyone who has read C D Sharma & parts of Y Masih OR Patanjali Notes. For contemporary philosophy you will need to make your own notes (though sources are very difficult to find for it).

    Paper II had little to do with philosophy and had lot of scope for imagination and creativity. Wide reading and new ideas would help in Paper II.

    Having said that, if you wrote Paper I well, you would get above average marks. As far as paper II is concerned, though I have managed to get fairly high marks in it as a one time wonder, the second paper marking has very little predictability.

    Overall, I would say Philosophy is a good optional in changing times. At least, until now there has not been a full washout like Psychology or Public Administration.

    Do you have any specific queries , @clark_kent ?
  • edited February 2014
    Clark_Kent's reply:-

    Hi NeYawn,

    Thanks a lot for replying. Its a great pleasure to see your reply , and a great opportunity where a guy who literally has no contact with the aspirants / Delhi atmosphere can get info through Forumias[edited] :).

    Clark Kent is one of my favorite characters, An alter ego who is often judged as a critique of Superman on human kind.
    I believe there is a clark kent hidden in all of us :)

    One of specific queries was related to Contemporary philosophy sources of Russell, Wittgenstein .. I wasn't able to find F.Thilly book here in Bangalore.How to start here??
    I took up philosophy ,since I myself wanted to have a few questions of early adult life answered :) .
    Now after reading Masih, I understood Philosophy has depth , with each and every statement written needing to be understood clearly and the sheer mental activity that is stimulated post reading a philosopher's view is beyond expression.

    Intend to get Patanjali notes in sometime from Delhi, till then will depend on Masih and CD sharma's books.

    -Cheers

    I shall follow my reply from here onwards
  • edited February 2014
    I will give you a rough break up of how to study Philosophy:-

    A. Indian Philosophy
    This portion can be totally covered from A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy.

    1. Charvaka -
    - Theory of Knowledge, Rejection of Transcendental Entity: Both topics can be done from CD Sharma
    - Reference to Patanjali Notes may be done, but not necessary

    2. Jainsim
    - Theory of Reality
    -Saptabhanginaya,
    -Bondage & Liberation
    Can be covered from C D Sharma
    No need to refer Patanjali Notes

    3. Schools of Buddhism :
    -Pratiya-Samutpada
    -Ksanikvada
    -Nairatmyavada
    Read these three topics exactly from C D Sharma. But that won't be sufficient. Questions here are actually based on schools of Buddhism. You will need to refer to two more sources for this topics
    a) First go through Dutta & Chatterjee - OLD EDITION chapter on Schools of Buddhism. That will clear your basic concepts about how the the schools are divided. Again, you will need to do more than this given the nature of questions being asked in UPSC in the past few years.
    b) Go through LATEST Patanjali Notes on this topic. Try getting class notes, Sir has updated his notes in sync with the demand. That should be sufficient.
    This should be sufficient for now.

    4. Nyaya-Vaishesika: Do from C D Sharma. Then do Patanjali Printed Notes. If possible take a look at Patanjali Class notes. That should complete preparartion on this topic forever.

    5. Samkhya : C D Sharma. Make Synoptic Notes. Topic wise

    6. Yoga : C D Sharma. Make tables and learn all keywords. That is all.

    7. Mimansa: C D Sharma . Would be sufficient.

    8. Schools of Vedanta : Patanjali Printed Notes + Handwritten Notes. This should help with the basic. For this chapter read from Dutta & Chatterjee but make notes in own handwriting from Patanjali Notes. leave a huge left margin so that you may add points on the LHS. Add points as you read more. Then proceed to C D Sharma. Sapta-anupapatti from there. Madhavacharya can done


    9. Aurobindo: Patanjali Printed Notes . Thwt will be sufficient. Not done well in any books that I know/have read.

    Will write soon on how to do Western in next post. Please ping me if I act too lazy.


    Note:- Do the easiest and most available portions first. For example if you don't have resources for Topic 3, PLEASE don't try to begin with TOPIC No. 3. Do as much of the syllabus as much you can as early as possible

    Tagged: @priyankas who had put up a philosophy query elsewhere.

    Feel free to ask questions.
  • Hi
    This is not exactly a query for Philosophy as an optional. I wrote mains this time with Physics (which shall remain so in future).
    I wish to read something on Philosophy; any good book that is thought provoking, arouses curiosity and yet lucid enough. This is just an endeavour to know more about a subject which I deeply appreciate and wish to expand my horizon. Kindly suggest a good starting point.
    Thank you
    P.S.- Apologies for pasting the same message in two threads of philosophy.
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