Details of HU3102 (Autumn 2024)

Level: 3 Type: Theory Credits: 4.0

Course CodeCourse NameInstructor(s)
HU3102 Philosophy Biswarup Mukhopadhyaya,
Soumitro Banerjee

Syllabus
1. A brief introduction to deductive and inductive logic: modus ponens, modus tollens, positive
logic, canons of induction, probabilistic inductive logic, fallacies.


2. (a) The chief architects of Western Philosophy: Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
(b) Sources of knowledge: knowledge and belief, illusion and hallucination, reason and experience,
sensibility and understanding, the debate between empiricism and rationalism, ideas behind a priori
knowledge. Touch upon the ideas of Descartes, Bacon, Locke, Berkeley,
Hume, Kant, and Leibnitz.

3. Some basic ontological issues: Realism vs idealism, (naive realism and representationalism,
subjective idealism, absolute idealism and dialectical materialism. Theories of truth: the
coherence, correspondence and pragmatic theories.


4. Theism vs anti-theistic theories: arguments for and against the
existence of God, agnostic approaches.

5. Trends in Indian philosophy: The schools of Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya-Vaisesika, Mimansa,
Vedanta, Lokayata, Jain, Bauddha. Different ways of knowing: Pratyaksha, Anumana, Upamana,
Shabda, Arthapatti, Anupalabdhi.


6. Rudiments of ethics.

References
Books suggested:

1. Introduction to Logic- Copi
2. Problems of Philosophy-- Russell
3. Introduction to Philosophical Analysis - Hospers
4. Indian Philosophy - Richard King

Course Credit Options

Sl. No.ProgrammeSemester NoCourse Choice
1 IP 1 Not Allowed
2 IP 3 Not Allowed
3 IP 5 Not Allowed
4 MP 1 Not Allowed
5 MP 3 Not Allowed
6 MR 1 Not Allowed
7 MR 3 Not Allowed
8 MS 3 Not Allowed
9 MS 5 Elective
10 MS 7 Elective
11 MS 9 Elective
12 RS 1 Not Allowed
13 RS 2 Not Allowed