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SYLLABI AND COURSES OF READING
The following Syllabi and Courses of Reading for M.A. Philosophy (External Students) were approved by the Board of Studies in Philosophy in its meeting held on 18 February 2002.
M.A. Part I Examination
APPENDIX
Outline of Tests for M.A. Philosophy (External)
Marks
Paper I History of Modern Western Philosophy 100
Paper II Muslim Philosophy 100
Paper III Moral Philosophy 100
Paper IV Problems of Philosophy 100
Paper V Logic 100
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APPENDIX B
Syllabi and Courses of Reading
Paper I: History of Modern Western Philosophy
Introduction, Characteristics of Modern Philosophy, Continental Rationalism
Descartes: a. Method of Doubt
b. Theory of Substance
c. Mind-body Relationship
d. Proofs for the Existence of God
Spinoza: a. Theory of Knowledge
b. Geometrical Method
c. Substance, Attributes & Modes
d. Intellectual love of God
e. Human freedom and Salvation
Leibniz: a. Idealism
b. Monadology
c. Pre-established Harmony
d. Theory of Knowledge
e. Optimism
British Empiricism:
Locke: a. Refutation of Innate Ideas
b. Origin of Ideas
c. Primary and Secondary Qualities
d. Modes, Substance and Relations
Berkeley: a. Rejection of Abstract Ideas and of Material Substance
(b) Subjective Idealism
Hume: a. Impressions and Ideas
b. Relations
c. Rejection of Material and Mental Substances
d. Treatment of Causality
German Idealism:
Kant: a. Copernican Revolution
b. Kant’s Problem
c. Theory of Knowledge Sensibility, Understanding and Reason
d. Antinomies
Hegel: a Dialectical Method
b. Absolute
Post-Hegelian Philosophy:
Nietzsche a. Revolt against Traditional Philosophy
b. Materialism
c. Death of Goad and Nihilism
d. Superman and Eternal Recurrence
e. Will to Power
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Bergson: a. Critique of Mechanised and Teleological Theories of Evolution
b. Creative Evolution
c. Intuition and Intellect
e. Elan Vital
William James: a. Pragmatic Method and its Application
b. Voluntarism
c. Radical Empiricism
Books Recommended
1. Copleston, Frederick, A History of Philosophy. 9 vols. New York: Image Books, 1962.
2. Jones, W. T., A History of Western Philosophy. 4 vols. New York: Harcourt Brace Jonvanovich, 1969-75
3. O’Connor, D.J., A Critical History of Western Philosophy, London: Free Press, 1964.
4. Russell, Bertrand, A History of Western Philosophy. London: George Allan and Unwin, 1961.
5. Wedberg, Anders, A History of Philosophy. 3 Vols. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982-84.
6. Wright, William K, A History of Modern Philosophy, New York: Macmillan, 1941.
7. Naeem Ahmad, History of Modern Philosophy (Urdu). Lahore: Ilmi Kitab Khana.
8. Naeem Ahmad, Bergson’ Philosophy (Urdu) Lahore: Idara Taleef-o-Tarjama, University of the Punjab.
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Paper II: MUSLIM PHILOSOPHY
Introduction: Transmission of Greek Philosophy to Muslim Culture
1. Mutazilism
i. Five Basic Principles of Mutazila
ii. Some leading Mutazilites
(a) Wasil Ibn Ata
(b) Abu al Hudhail Allaf
(c) Al- Nazzam
2. Asharism
i. Concept of God and the nature of Divine Attribute
ii. Free will
iii. Problem of Evil
iv. Problem of createdness or uncreatedness of the Quran
v. Asharite Atomism
3. Al-Kindi
i. Reconciliation of Philosophy and Religion
ii. Concept of God
iii. Theory of Intellect
4. Al- Farabi
i. Theory of Ten Intelligences
ii. theory of the Intellect
5. Ibn-Sina
i. Theory of Being
ii. Theory of Knowledge/Concept of god
iii. Mind-Body Relationship
6. Al Ghazali
1. Method
2. Refutation of Philsophers
i. Eternity of the Word
ii. God’s Knowledge of Particulars
iii. Reseruction of the Body
7. Ibn Rushd
a. Reconciliation between Philosophy and Religion
b. Metaphysics.
c. Way to knowledge
8. Ibn Arabi
Doctrine of Unity of Being
Book Recommended
1. Abdul Khaliq, Dr. Problems of Muslim Theology, Lahore;
2. Abdul Khaliq, Dr. and Yusaf Shaidaee,

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? . Lahore: Aziz Publishers, 1993.
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3. Majid Fakhri. A History of Islamic Philosophy. 2nd edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 1983.
4. M. M. Sharif (ed). A History of Muslim Philosophy, 2 Vols. (reprint) Karachi: Royal Book Co., 1983.
5. Montgomery, W. Watt, Free will and Pre-Destination in Early Islam, London: Luzac & Co., 1948
Paper III: MORAL PHILOSOPHY
1. WHAT IS MORALITY?
a. The Problem of Definition
b. An Example of Moral Reasoning: Body Jane Doe
c. Reason and Impartiality
d. The Minimum Conception of Morality
2. THE CHALLENGE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM
a. How Different Cultures Have Different Moral Codes
b. Cultural Relativism
c. The Cultural Differences Argument
d. The Consequences of Taking Cultural Relativism Seriously
e. Why There Is Less Disagreement Than It Seems
f. How All Cultures Have Some Values in Common
g. What Can Be Learned from Cultural Relativism
3. SUBJECTIVISM IN ETHICS
a. The Basic Idea of Ethical Subjectivism
b. The Evolution of the Theory
c. The First Stage: Simple Subjectivism
d. The Second Stage: Emotivism
4. DOES MORALITY DEPEND ON RELIGION?
a. The Presumed Connection Between Morality and Religion
b. The Divine Command theory
c. The Theory of Natural Law
5. THE UTILITARIAN APPROACH
a. The Revolution in Ethics
b. First Example: Euthanasia
c. Second Example: Nonhuman Animals
6. ARE THERE ABSOLUTE MORAL RULES?
a. Kant and The Categorical Imperative
b. Absolute Rules and the Duty Not to Lie
c. Conflicts Between Rules
d. Another Look at Kant’s Basic Idea
7. THE ETHICS OF VIRTUE
a. The Ethics of Virtue and the Ethics of Right Action
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b. Should We Return to the Ethics of Virtue
c. The Virtues
d. Some Advantages of Virtue Ethics
e. The Incompleteness of Virtue Ethics
Books Recommended
1. James Rachels [1995] The Elements of Moral Philosophy, McGraw-Hill Inc.
2. Harry J. Gensler [1998] Ethics: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge.
3. Binkley, Luther J. Contemporary Ethical Theories. New York: Philosophical Library Inc. 1961.
4. Seller, W. & J. Hospers Readings in Ethical Theory. New York: Appleton: Century-Crofts, Inc. 1952..
Paper IV PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHY
1. Introduction:
What Philosophy is and why it is worth studying
2. Knowledge :
i. Concepts ii. Truth. iii. Sources of Knowledge. iv. What is Knowledge.
3. Cause, Determine and Freedom:
i. What is cause. ii. The causal principle. Iii. Determinism and freedom
4. Some Metaphysical Problems:
i. Substance and Universals. ii. Matter and Life. iii. Mind and Body. iv. Personal Identity.
5. Our Knowledge of Physical World:
i. Realism ii. Idealism. iii. Phenomenalism. iv. Alternatives.
Books Recommended
1. Ayer, A. J., Central Questions of Philosophy London: Penguin Books, 1973.
2. Cornman, James W. & Keith Lehrer, Philosophical problems and Arguments: An Introduction. London: Macmillan, 1968.
3. Ewing, A. C., The Fundamental Questions of Philosophy. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1967.
4. Hospers, John, An Introduction to Philosophical Analysis, London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., 1967.
5. Russell Bertrand Problems of Philosophy. Oxford University Press, 1959
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Paper V LOGIC
1. Nature of Logic:
Deduction and Induction, Truth and Validity
2. Definition:
Purposes of Definition. Verbal Disputes and Definition, Types of Definition, Rules of Definition
3. Categorical Propositions:
Kinds of Propositions, Traditional Square of Opposition, Immediate Inferences, Existential Import
4. Categorical Syllogism:
Standard Form Categorical Syllogism, Venn Diagram Technique for Testing Syllogism, Rules and Fallacies.
5. Symbolic Logic:
Value of Special Symbols, Symbols for Conjunction, Negation, and Disjunction, Conditional Statements, and Material Implication, Argument Forms and Arguments, Statement. Forms and Statements Paradoxes of Material Implication.
6. Method of Deduction:
Formal Proof of Validity, Rule of Replacement, Inconsistency.
7. Qualification Theory:
Singular Propositions, Quantification, Propositional Function subject Predicate Propositions, Proving Validity.
8. Causal Connections:
Mill’s Methods of Experimental Inquiry, Meaning of Cause, Mill’s Methods, Critique of Mill’s Methods. Defence of Mill’s Methods, Critism of Stebbing and Russell.
9. Science and Hypothesis:
Value of Science, Explanation: Scientific and Unscientific, Evaluation of Scientific Explanation of Scientific Explanation, Crucial Experiments and Adhoc Hypotheses, Classification of Hypotheses.
Books Recommended
1. Copi, Irving, M. Introduction to Logic, 8th ed. New York: MacMillan, 1990.
2. Hurley, Patrick, J. A Concise Introduction to Logic, Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing Co. 1988.
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M.A. PART II
Marks
Paper I MODERN PHILOSOPHICAL MOVEMENTS 100
Paper II MULSIM THOUGHT IN SOUTH ASIA 100
Or
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION 100
Paper III MODERN METAPHYSICS 100
Or
PHILOSOPHY OF MIND 100
Or
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION 100
Paper IV PHILOSOPHY OF LAW 100
Or
PHILOSOPHY OF ART 100
Or
INDIAN PHILOSOPHY 100
Paper V THESIS OR ESSAY 100
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