Philosophy Class XI Syllabus

Exam Structure

Unit 1: Indian Theories of Knowledge (Epistemology)

• (i) Classification of Indian philosophical systems
• (ii) Six ways of knowing in Indian Philosophy
• (iii) Nyaya definition of perception and distinction between determinate and indeterminate perception
• (iv) Buddhist view on indeterminate perception
• (v) Nyaya view on inference (Nyaya): Vyapti, tarka, and kinds of Anumana
• (vi) Carvaka’s critique of inference

Unit 2: Western Theories of Knowledge (Epistemology)

• (vii) Rationalism: Descartes on universal and certain knowledge, Method of doubt
• (viii) Empiricism: Locke on rejection of innate ideas, origin of ideas,kinds of knowledge
• (ix) Hume – Impressions and Ideas, Kinds of knowledge, skepticism (causation, self)
• (x) Kant: Synthetic a priori knowledge

Unit 3: Principles of Reasoning (Logic)

(A) Aristotelian Logic

• (xi) The nature and subject-matter of logic
• (xii) Terms, sentences, propositions, truth and validity
• (xiii) Relations between propositions – square of opposition
• (xiv) Changing sentences into their logical form
• (xv) Categorical syllogism

(B) Symbolic Logic

• (xvi) Value of use of symbols, symbolization, variable and constant
• (xvii) Truth function and truth-functional connectives, Truth Table

(C) Inductive Reasoning

• (xviii) Mill’s Methods of Experimental Inquiry