NAGPUR UNIVERSITY :- Philosophy Departments

About Us

The Department has been instituted in 1958. The Department has 225.70 Sq.m. built up area in

the main Humanities building existing in Mahatma Jyotiba Phuley Campus, Amravati Road, Nagpur.

Courses

MA- I and MA- II

Admission :

(Eligibility, general procedure)

Eligibility

The student must have passed BA with philosophy as one of the subjects

General procedure: The general procedure of taking admission in the department is

a) The student must fill in the application form and submit it to the


Office.

b) All the forms are sent to the department by the office.

c) With Hood’s signature forms are again sent to the office.

d) After paying the fees in the office applicant gets admission in the department.

Syllabus

M. A.-I PHILOSOPY

Paper I: Ethics (Indian and Western)

Section A

1. Nature and Scope of Indian Ethics.

2. The law of Karma: ethical implications.

3. Arthasangraha of Laugaksi Bhaskara:
   The concepts to be taken up for study are as follows:

   1. sabda (veda pramanya)

   2. Apaurseyatva

   3. Pursha

   4. Dharma

   5. Apurva

   6. Vidhi, Nisedha, Arthvada

4. Selection from the Upanisads, Bhagvatgita, Damapada, Tattvartan sutra, Tirukkural, Shantiparva of Mahabharat (Selection) and Arthsastra of Kautilya (selections)
   The concepts to be taken up for study are as follows:

   1. Rta and Satya

   2. Rna and Yajna

   3. Yoga and Ksema

   4. Vpayakausala of Buddhism along with Brahma Viharas.

   5. Triratnas of Jainism along with Dharma Vidhi and Caitracara.

   6. Yama and Niyama of Yoga.
      

Section B:

5.A. J. Ayer: ‘ Emotivism’, from A. J. Ayer, Language, truth and Logic, Dover, 1946 (P)

6.C. L. Stevenson: The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms form Mind, 46, 1937, (P) and (CM).

7. R.M. Hare: ‘Prescriptivism: The Structure of Ethics and Morals’, from R. M. Hare, Essays in Ethical Theory, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989, (P).

8.Philippa Foot: ‘Moral Beliefs’ from Fred Feldmen, Introductory Ethics, Englewood Cliffsl: Prentice Hall 1978, (P).

9.J. J. C. Smart: Extreme and Restricted Utilitarianism, Reprinted from The Philosophical Quarterly V1: 25, 1956,(P).

10.Bernard Williams: Againts Utilitarianism, from Bernard Williams and J. J. C. Smart, Utilitarianism For and Against Cambridge, University Press 1973 (P).

Suggested Books:
1) R. Prashad: Karma, Causation and Retributive Morality.

2) I. C. Sharma: Ethical Philosophy of India.

3) Surma Dasgupta: Development of Moral Philosophy in India.

4) M. Hiriyanna: The Indian Conception of Values.

Paper- II: Epistemology (Indian and Western)

Section – A (Indian)

1.Cognition: It’s Definition and Nature, Division of cognition: Valid (Prama) and Invalid (Aprama): Validity (Pramanya) Its nature, conditions and definition, Valid Cognition (Prama), Classification, Instrument of cognition (Indriya) and their nature.

2.The debate about the nature, Origin (Utpatti) and Ascertainment (Jnapti) of Validity: Svatahpramanyavada, and prathapramanyvada.

3.The debate about knowledge: Savisayatva, Sakartva, Svaprakasta.

4. The theories about invalid perceptual cognition (Khyativada): Akhyati, Anyatakhyati, Vipritkhyati, Atmakhyati, Asatkhyati, Anirvacaniyakhati, Satkhyati, Abhinava Anytha khyati, Sadasat khyati.

5.The special role of sabda pramana.

Section –B (Western)

1.Nature and definition of knowledge: belief and knowledge.

2.Gettier Problem and responses to it.

3Theories of Perception.

4.Theories of Truth: Self- evidence, Correspondence, coherence, Pragmatic and Semantic.

5.Apriori knowledge; analytic and synthetic; necessary and contingent; synthetic apriori.

6.Knowledge of knowledge.

Suggested Readings
(For Section A)
1.Debarata Sen: The Concept of Knowledge, Calcutta, 1984.

2. D.M. Datta: The six ways of knowing Calatta, 1960.

3.Srinivasa Rao: Perceptual Error: The Indian Theories, University Press of Hawaii, Honolulu, 1998.

(For Section B)

1. K. Lehrer: Knowledge

2. R. M. Chisholm: Theory of Knowledge, (3rd ed.)

3. B. Russell: Human Knowledge: Its scope and Limits.

4. A. R. White: Truth.

Paper –III : ( 1) Metaphysics ( Indian and Western )
Section—A: ( Indian metaphysics )

1. Man, God and the world as the basic general categories of metaphysics.

2.Reality being and becoming

3.God of the people and God of the philosophers the role of god in the world views of classical system, the new and central role of god in the bhakti schools starting from Ramanuja; proofs for and against
the existence of God as Karmaadhyaksa.

4.Man Self as Atman, Nairatmayevada, Atman and jiva, the jiva as Karta, bhokta and jnata different perspectives.

5.Physics world: World as karmabhumi, nature and constitution of the physical world; the theories of five elements, gunas, pancikarana vyavaharika and parmarthika satta.

6.Universal: The debate amongst the different schools.

7.Causation: The different views and debates.

Section – B (Western Metaphysics)
8.Metaphysics nature, scope and concerns.

9.Substance; Aristotle’s account, substance and properties, kinds and activities, the debate between
rationalism and empiricism process view of reality

10. Causation: Causation and regularity, causations and conditionals.

11. Universals and Particulars: Distinction, varieties, abstract entities, nominalism: resemblance, Classes, realism: Classical and Contemporary.

12. Mind and Body: Dualism and Materialism, contemporary debates.

Suggested Readings: (For section A)
1.Stephen H. Phillips: Classical Indian Metaphysics, Delhi, Motilal Banarasi Das, 1997.
2. Sadanand Bhaduri: Nyay Vaisesiks Metaphysics.
(For section B)
1.Richard Taylor: Metaphysics (Prentice Hall)
2.Stephen Korher: Fundamental questions of Philosophy.

II Philosophical Problems
1. Knowledge and Skepticism

2. Theories of Error.

3. The Problem of Induction.

4. The Problem of Perception

5. Mind – Body Dualism.

6. The Problem of Other Minds.

7. Justice and Equality.

8. Idea of Freedom.

9. The Problem of Evil.

10. What is Philosophy?

Suggested Readings
1. B. K. Matilal: Perception, Oxford University Press, 1986

2. Hilary Putnan: Realism, Truth and History, Cambridge University Press, 1985.

3. Srinivas Rao: Perceptual Error; The Indian Theories, Honolulu, The University Press of Hawaii, 1988.

4. Stephen Korner: Fundamental questions of Philosophy, The Harvester Press 1979.

5. A. Stroll(Ed): Epistemology: New Essays in the Theory of Knowledge.

III Philosophy of Mind
1.Philisophy and Psychology, mind in a priori Philosophy,

2.Philosophy theories of mind: Cartesian dualism: mind-body relation; Problems of casual interactionism.

3. Behaviourism: methodological and Philosophical behaviourism, explanatory inadequacy, cognitivism in psychology.

4. Materialism: mind-brain identity theory, problem of materialism, the problem of phenomental conscionisness.

5.Conscionisness, cognitive science and philosophy, naturalism about phenomental conscionisness.

Suggested Readings

1. David Chalmers: The Conscions mind.

2. E. J. Lowe: An Introduction to the Philosophy of mind.

3. David M. Armstrong: A Materialism Theory of Mind.

4. Flanagan Block and Guzeldore (eds): The nature of Consciousness.

5. Paul M. Charchland: Matter and Consciousness. A Contemporary Introduction to Philosophy of mind.

6. T. E. Wilkesson : Minds, Brains and People.

7. Sidney Hook (ed): Dimensions of Mind.

Paper—IV: (i) History of Western
Philosophy
Section – A (Early Greek Philosophy)
1. Old Ionian nature- Philosophers.
2. Orphic System of Cosmology.
3. Pythagoras and his Disciples.
4. Orphic and Pythegorian Doctrines of soul.
5. From Metaphysics to Positive Science; Xenophancs;Parmenides, Anaxagoras, Empedocles
6. Grand Philosophical Systmes;

Plato: Theory Of Knowledge forms, soul structure, proofs of his mortality, ethical, social and political ideas.

Aristotle: Categories, Elements, Principle of Ontology, Chance and Nous, God, Ethics, Theory of State, Theory of Art.

Section –B: (Modern Western Philosophy)
7. Descartes: method and the need for method in philosophy; method of doubt, Cogito ergo sums types of ideas; mind and matter, mind-body intertionism; God: Nature and Proofs for his existence.

8. Spinoza: Substance, attributes and mode, the concept of God or Nature, Pantheism mind-body problem three orders of knowing.

9. Leibnitz: Monadology, doctrine of pre-established harmony, truths of reason and truths of fact, innateness of all ideas; principals of fact innateness of all ideas’ principles of non-constructions, sufficient reason and identity of the indiscernibles; God: nature and proofs for his existence.

10. Locke: ideas and their classification, refutation of innate ideas; knowledge and its grades; substance, qualities: Primary and secondary.

11. Berkeley: Rejection of obract ideas; rejection of the distinction between primary and secondary quality; immaterialism; esse est percipi; the problem of solipcism.

12. Hume: impression and ideas; judgement concering relations of ideas and judgments concering matters of fact; causality, external work, self and personal identity, rejection of metaphysics; scerticism.

13. Kant: Conception of critical philosophy classification of judgements; possibility of synthetic a prion judgement the form of sensibility categories of the understanding; phenomena and noumena; the refutation of reason of soul and the workd as a whole; rejection of transcendent
metaphysics.

Suggested Readings
1. J. Burnet: History of Greek Philosophy 1914.

2. N. K. C. Guthrie: The Greek Philosophers from Thales to Aristotle.

3. R. L. Nettleship: Lectures on the Republic of Plato 1914.

4. W. D. Ross: Aristotle 1923.

5. F. Copleston: A History of Philosophy.

6. W. T. Stace: A Critical History of Greek philosophy.

(ii) Philosophy of Religion
1. Concepts of soul, Salvation and human destiny

2. Problem of evil and suffering.

3. Freedom of will, karma, rebirth.

4. Purusarthas.

5. Theology and symbolism.

6. Bhakti, Faith Prayer, worship, miracle.

7. Mysticism

8. Incarnatiuon : Avatara

9. Inter-religious dialogue and the possibility of universal religion.

10. Verification, falsification and religion.

Suggested Reading:
1. N. Smart: The religious Experience of Mankind.

2. J. Hick: An interpretation of religion.

3. W. James: Varities of religious experience.

4. R. Otto: The Idea of the Holy.

5. R. swinbune: faith and Reason.

6. S. Radhakrishnan: The Idealist view of life.

7. Swami Vivikananan: Complete works ( relevant chapter)

8. N. K. Brahama: Philosophy of Hindu Sadhana.

9. A. Thompson: A Modern Philosophy of Religion.

10. M. Hiriyanna: Quest for perfection.

(iii) Modern Indian Thought
1.Background

2.Swami Vivekanand: Man, Universal religion, practical Vedanta.

3.B. G. Tilak: Interpretation of the Gita

4.Sir Aurbindo: Realty as “Sat-cit-ananda”, three phases of reality-evolution; mind andsupermind; intergral
yoga.

5.K. C. Bhattacharya: Concept of Philosophy; subject as freedom; the Absolute and its alternative forms; interpretation of maya.

6. S. Radhakrishnana: God and the Absolute; intellect and intuition; the idealist view of life.

7.J. Krishnamurthy: The self; freedom form the known; inner revolution.

Suggested Readings
1.V. S. Naravne: Modern Indian Thought, Bombay 1964.

2.Swami Vivekananda: Practical Vedanta: Advait Ashram 1964.

3.Sri. Aurbindo: Integral Yoga, Paundicherry, Sir Aurbindo Ashram 1972.

4.K. C. Bhattacharya: Studies in Philosophy, Delhi, Motilal Banarasidass, 1983.

5. S. Radhakrishnan: An Idealist view of Life, London, George Allen & Unwin, 1957.

6. J. Krishnamurthy: Freedom from the known, San Francisco, Harper, 1997.

M. A. Part—II : (Philosophy)

Compulsory

PaperI : Analytic Philosophy

PaperII : Comparative Religion.

Optional:

PaperIII

1. Advanced Symbolic Logic

2. The Philosophy of Value Education.

3. Intensive Study of anyone of the following texts.
(i) Russell: An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth.

(ii) Ayer: Language, Truth and Logic.

(iii) Wittgenstein: Tractatus, Logico-Philosophicus.

Paper IV

1. Phenomenology and Existentialism.

2. Asthetics.

3. Applied Ethics.

Paper I: Analytic Philosophy
1. B. Russell:
(i) Description (from Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, Chap XVI< George Allen and Unwis ltd. USA the Macmillan Company
(ii)What there is (From “The Philosophy of Logical Atomism” in Logic and knowldged, R. C. Marsh (ed) Chap. 8 George Allen and Unwin Ltd.

2. G. E. Moore:
(i) Refutation of Idealism (From Philosophical Studies, London Routledge and Kegen Paul, 1922 Reprinted by Littlefield, Adams and company, 1959.
(ii) Proof of an External World (From Proceedings of the British Academy, Volume XXV, 1939, pp 273-300.

3. A. J. Ayer:
(i) The Elimination of metaphysics (From Language Truth and Logic by A. J. Ayer Chap. 1 1936, Victor Gollance)
(ii) The Principles of Varification ( From the Introduction to Language Truth and Logic, 2nd ed, by A. J. Ayer, pp 5-16,
Victor Gollance ltd)

4. W. V. O. Quine: Two Dogmas of Empericism ( From a Logical Point of view by W. V. O. Quine, Cambridge.

5. H. P. Grice: In Defence of a Dogma (From the Philossophical & P. F. Strawson: Review volume IXV, no. 2 (April 1956)

6. Gilbert Ryle: Descartes’ Myth (From The Concept of Mind, Chap. 1, By Gilbert Ryle, 1949.

7. P F. Stawson: On Referring (From Mind, Volume IIX, no. 235 July 1950.)

8. L. Wittgenstein: To Topics 1 Nature of Philosophy and 2 Philosophy
of Language from Philosophical Investigation Translated by G. E. N. Anscombe Oxford Blackwell 1953)

Books for Further Reading/References

1. R. R. Ammerman (ed.)-Classics of Analytic Philosophy Tata McGraw Hill Publishing Company Ltd. New Delhi 1965.

2. George Pitcher: The Philosophy of Wittgenstein, Prentice-Hall of India Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi 1985.

Paper II : Comparative Religion
Student will be studying the major religions of the world such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, and Christianity. These will be studies in bare outlines, comparing the basic tenets involved in each.

Suggested books
1.E. J. Sharpe: Comparative religion, Duckworth, 1976.
2.John Hick: An Interpretation of Religion.
3.Bhagwandas: Essential Unity of All Religion (Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan Bombay)
4.Radhakrishnan: Eastern Religion and Western Thought.

Paper III (A): Advanced Symbolic Logic
1.Elementary Notion and Principles of Truth functional Logic, Techniques of symbolization, proof construction.
2.Quantification theory : Singular and general proposition, Multiply general propositions, techniques of symbolization, quantification rules, proof construction, logical truth involving quantifiers.
3. The Logic of Relations: Symbolizing Relations, Arguments Involving Relations, Attributes of Relations, Identity and definite description.
4.Deductive Systems: Formal Deductive Systems, Attribute of formal deductive system, Logistic systems.
5. Formal Propositional Calculus: PM axioms of propositional calculus, Theorems of PM, Deduction theorems and consequences consistency, soundness, completeness, independence of PM.

Suggested Readings
1. I. M. Copi: Symbolic Logic 5th Ed. Macmillan Co. Landon.

2. G. E. Huges and D. G. Londey: The elements of formal logic Delhi, 1967.

3. R. Jeffery: Formal logic its Scope and Limits 2nd ed.

4. A. Ambrose and M. Lazerowitz; Fundamentals of Symbolic Logic New York 1962.

Paper III (B): Philosophy of Value Education

1. The concept of Education and value, Values as the Foundations of very Process of Education, Dangers of weakening or delinking the connection between Educations and values.

2. True Educations as Constituting The Development of Individual as well as special virtues, the pursuit of excellence as the foundations of individual virtues caring for others as the foundation of social virtues.

3. The Universality of the concept of good life, and
analysis of how any form of proper education leads to the development of a proper conception of good life.

4. The Notion of good life among the ancient Greeks, the notion of good life in classical India, the close connection between the concept of good life and the concept of virtues in both the traditions.

5. The pursuit of excellence and caring for others as the constituent elements of a good life, educations as the means
to achieve good life.

6. The hierarchy of values as found in the scheme of purusarthas, the harmonious blending of worldly as well as other worldly values in the classical Indian scheme.

Suggested Readings

1. R. B. Perry: General Theory of Value.

2. R. Frondizi: What is Value?

3. M. Hiriyanna: The Indian conception of value.

4. C. Seshadri: Educations in values: A Source book, New Delhi 1992.

PaperIII (C)

Intensive study of any one of the following texts:
1. B. Russell: An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth.

2. L. Wittgenstein: Tractatus: Logico- Philosophicus.

3. A. Ayer: Language Truth and Logic.

Paper IV (A): Phenomenology and Existentialism

Part-I: Phenomenology

1. Phenomenology: A Movement of Thought, A Redical method of Investigation, A Presuppositionless philosophy, a rigorous science.

2. Edmund Husserl: Development of his thought, the natural world thesis, essence and essential intimation, Phenomenological reduction and its stages, pure consciousness and transcendental subjectivity, intentionality of consciousness.

3. Heidegger: Being, Dasein.

4. Merleau Ponty: Phenomenology of Perception.

Part II: Existentialism
1. Existentialism: Its distinctive characteristic, common ground as well as diversity among existentialism.

2. Some recurring themes: Existence precedes essence, mans-being- in-the- world, man’s being in the body, man’s being with others and mans being in the action.

3. Freedom: Decision and Choice.

4. The Facticity of Existence: Death Temporality.

5. Existence Authentic and
non-authentic.

Suggested Readings

1. H. Spiegelberg: The phenomenological Movements Vol. I & II.

2. P. R. Husserl: An Analysis of Phenomenology.

3. M. Farber: The Aims of Phenomenology.

4. J. P. Sartre: Being and Nothingness.

5. M. Ponty: Phenomenology Of Perception.

6. H. J. Blackhams: Six Existentialist Thinkers 2nd ed New York.

7. John Macquirrie: Existentialism, 1973.

Paper IV (B): Aesthetics

1. General Introduction: Conceptual analysis, basic philosophical concepts, sciences, and the Humanities.

2. Aesthetics and philosophical aesthetics: Second order aesthetic, the human experience, and art and experience.

3. Art and its definition: Art as representation, art as _expression, art as significant form.

4. Art and emotion: The concept of emotion, the concept of friction and emotion.

5. Art society and morality: views of Tolstoy, Marx and post modernism.

6. Rasa-siddhanta-Dhwani-siddhanta-auchitya Siddhanta-ritu Siddhanta-Alankara-shiddhanta-vakrokti-siddhanta.

Suggested Books

1. O’Hear Anthony: The Elements of Fine Arts and The Human world 1988.

2. Peter Lamarque:
Philosophy and friction: Essays in Literary Aesthetics 1983.

3. A. Shepherd: Aesthetics an Introduction to the Philosophy of Art Oxford University Press 1997.

4. O. L. Lamarque: Truth Fiction and Literature Oxford University Press 1997.

5. K. K. Murthy: Studies in Indian Aesthetics and Criticisms Mysore 1979.

6. K. C. Pandey: Comparative Aesthetic Vol. I Indian Aesthetic Chowkhamba 1950.

Paper IV (C): Applied Ethics

1. Nature and Scope of Applied Ethics.

2. Deontological and Teleological approaches to moral action.

3. Fundamentals of Medical Ethics: Doctor patient relationship, Euthanasia and Abortion.

4. Applied Ethics and Ecology.

5. Applied Ethics and Politics.

6. Professional Ethics: Profession and Business and Moral Laws in Profession.

7. Limits of Applied Ethics.

Books and Articles

1. Peter Singer: Applied Ethics, In the Oxford readings in philosophy series.

2. Peter Singer: Practical Ethics 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press 1993.

3. W. K. Frankena: Ethics Prentice Hall 1973.

4. H. H. Titus : Ethics for Today, 3rd ed. New Delhi Indian Reprint 1966.

Faculty Profile

Dr. Smt S. N. Deo, MA. Ph D
Professor and Head of the department

Publication
Wrote 15 Articles on Philosophical topics which are published in philosophy journals.Also wrote many Articles and Book reviews on social problems which are published in daily new papers like Lokmat, Loksatta, Maharastra Times and magazines like Sadhana Ajacha Sudharak
Three Books are published and translation of I. M. Copi’s Symbolic Logic is in the making

Conferences and Seminar
I was invited as Resource Person in many of summer schools of Pandit Philosopher Project (PP Project)
I have attended many State level, National level and International level conferences.
I am member of Nagpur University Philosophy teachers association, Maharashtra Tattvajnaya Parishad and Indian Philosophical Congress.

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Dr. S. K. Thorat
MA Ph D D. Reader

Publication
wrote 15 Articles on Philosophical topics which are Published in various journals Translation of Ryle’s book “The Concept Of Mind” in Hindi is under publication.

Specialization
Philosophy of Mind

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Dr. Smt. S. S. Ingle
MA, M Phil, Ph D
Senior Lecturer

Publication
Wrote one book on Logic and 4 Articles are Published in philosophical journals

Conferences & Seminars
Attended 9 conferences and 7 seminar and presented paper in 3 of them
Specialization: Logic, Axiology

Extension Lecture series
I was invited to deliver Extension lecture series in Dhanwate National college Nagpur.

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Dr. S.W. Gaidhane
MA, M Phil, Ph D
Lecturer

Publication
Wrote 1 book and 15 Articles.

Conferences & Seminar
Attended 19 conferences and 12 seminar
In 11 of them present there paper.

Specialization
Ethics and Analytic Philosophy

Extension Lecture series
I was invited to give extension lecture
Series in Dayananda Arts College Latur,M. B. Mahavidyalaya Latur, Dhanwate National College Nagpur.