I have got Asian culture, linguistics, and philosophy in my graduation. Will they help me somehow in the UPSC CSE?

To attend the UPSC IAS exam, an aspirant must hold at least a bachelor’s degree from a recognized institution or university. Candidates who have already taken the final exam (of the bachelor’s degree) and are awaiting results are also eligible to apply. At Officers’ IAS Academy, we ensure that no matter what your background is, you are supported till the end to achieve your dream of becoming an IAS/IPS/IFS officer. This perseverance makes us the best IAS academy in Chennai.

How it can help in the UPSC CSE IAS exam?

• There are a total of 48 subjects on the UPSC optional subject list, including philosophy. It is a popular optional subject because of its relevance and connection with other general studies and essays.
• The main benefit of choosing philosophy is that the majority of the course material is static, so you won’t need to worry about being up on current events for this elective subject. Other than that, the curriculum is brief and there are many preparation tools accessible.
• The philosophy portion of the IAS exam curriculum emphasizes applicants’ capacity to comprehend the material and apply it to Indian culture. This covers the development of philosophy, religion, and social systems across time. Candidates who select philosophy as an optional subject in the UPSC will discover that the syllabus places a strong emphasis on problems and subjects relating to the development and history of philosophy as well as its influence on Indian culture.

How to prepare for the philosophy optional?

• Both Western philosophy and Indian philosophy are included in Paper 1 of the optional exam. You must attempt 5 out of the 8 questions on this exam, along with the two mandatory questions from each of these subsections. You may learn about Indian philosophy by reading Satishchandra Chatterjee’s An Introduction to Indian Philosophy and Yakub Masih’s A Critical History of Western Philosophy: Greek, Medieval, and Modern.
• The two main components of paper II of the optional philosophy course are social-political philosophy and religious philosophy. Examine Hindu editorials as well as pieces from periodicals like Yojana and Kurukshetra before creating these. Hindu editorial frequently includes a discussion of key philosophical issues.
• Practice writing answers: After thoroughly preparing the aforementioned subjects, engage in composing answers. Utilize your notes to help you create responses, then have your mentors and subject-matter experts review them.
• Refer the toppers’ answer sheets: To gain a sense of how your answers should be written, review the copies of the top scorers’ answers. Then, try writing your answers in the same style and practice on the Previous Years’ Questions.
• Join the test series: Enroll in the test series to receive feedback from mentors and experts and to have your answer copy assessed.

Important books for Philosophy Optional

1. A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy by Chandradhar Sharma
2. W. T. Stace: A Critical History of Greek Philosophy (Plato and Aristotle).
3. An Introduction to Political Theory by O.P. Gauba
4. Copleston: A History of Philosophy (Relevant Chapters from volumes I, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX & XI).
5. Anthony Kenny: A New History of Western Philosophy.
6. A Critical History of Western Philosophy: Greek, Medieval and Modern by Yakub Masih
7. Datta & Chatterjee: An Introduction to Indian Philosophy.
8. C. D. Sharma: A Critical Survey of Indian Philosophy.
9. Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy.
10. Contemporary Indian Philosophy by Basant Kumar Lal
11. John Hick: Philosophy of Religion.
12. Michael B. Wilkinson: Philosophy of Religion: An Introduction.
13. O. P. Gauba: Social & Political Philosophy.
14. Political Theory, An Introduction. Edited By Rajeev Bhargava & Ashok Acharya.
15. Oxford Dictionary of Politics.

If you wish to get the best IAS coaching experience for preparing Philosophy optional, join our online/offline foundation course, or the optional specific course. Students who want to focus on strengthening the Optional alone can enroll in our five-month Optional course. This includes Optional tests that cover both sectional and full Optional tests. This is followed by a post-test discussion where we analyze the model answer for the question and go over important concepts to highlight. I wish you the best in your IAs exam preparation.

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