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M.A.

M.A.

M.A. in Philosophy
M.A. programme is designed to develop philosophical aptitude and analytical skills among the students through a rigorous training in the discipline. It will focus on the study of the distinctive character of philosophical inquiry, debates in metaphysics, epistemology, logic and ethics.

Since philosophical inquiry is not isolated, but rooted in the basic questions of other academic disciplines, and social life, students will be encouraged to comprehend the interdisciplinary and foundational character of philosophical studies. They will also be trained to identify and appreciate the sources of philosophical questions and puzzles in our reflections on language, thought, knowledge and values.

The programme reviews and attempts to overcome the received binaries and dichotomies such as study of philosophy in terms of geographical and civilizational divisions, intra disciplinary segregations like analytic philosophy and phenomenology, metaphysics and epistemology, moral and social philosophy, etc. An intensive study of philosophical texts for a critical appraisal of concepts and arguments used by philosophers, and writing of philosophical essays is an integral part of the programme.

Course Structure
The students are required to take 10 core and 06 optional courses of 04 credits each. Out of the 06 optional courses, students are encouraged to take 02 courses from other Centres/Schools.

The four core courses in the First Semester address the foundational character of philosophical studies. These are: (i) Philosophical Studies: Problems and Perspectives, (ii) Epistemology and Metaphysics: Issues and Problems of Knowing and Being, (iii) Moral and Social Philosophy, and (iv) Logic and Scientific Methods.

The four core courses in the Second Semester address the inter-disciplinary character of philosophical studies, and also acquaint students to some of the important developments in 20th century philosophy. These are: (i) Philosophy of Social Sciences; (ii) Philosophy of Language, (iii) Readings in 20th century Indian Philosophy, and (iv) Readings in Analytic Philosophy and Phenomenology.

The remaining two core courses—(i) Reading a Philosopher and (ii) Project on a Philosophical Theme—are seminar papers. These are offered in the Third and the Fourth Semesters respectively. The former engages the students in an intensive study of selected text(s) of a philosopher, and the latter in writing a philosophical essay based on their individual research project.

The optional courses are designed in view of the academic and research interests of the faculty members of the Centre. These courses focus on the presuppositions and implications of the on-going philosophical debates. 

MA Syllabus

 

Semester I - Monsoon (Core)

Course Title No. Credit Pattern of Evaluation
Philosophical Studies: Problems and Perspectives PH401S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Epistemology and Metaphysics: Issues and Problems of Knowing and Being PH402S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Moral and Social Philosophy PH403S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Logic and Scientific Methods PH404S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%

Semester II - Winter (Core)

Course Title No. Credit Pattern of Evaluation
Philosophy of Social Sciences PH405S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Philosophy of Language PH406S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Readings in 20th Century Indian Philosophy PH407S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%
Readings in Analytic Philosophy and Phenomenology PH408S 4

Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50%

End Semester Examination 50%

Semester III - Monsoon (Core)

Course Title No. Credit Pattern of Evaluation

Seminar Course: Reading a Philosopher (One of the following Philosophers)

A. Aristotle
B. Sankara
C. Immanuel Kant-I
D. Immanuel Kant-II
E. John Stuart Mill
F. Bertrand Russell
G. Ludwig Wittgenstein
H. Jean-Paul Sartre
I. Simone de Beauvoir
J. W.V.O. Quine

 PH409S 4 End-semester seminar presentation

Semester IV - Winter (Core)

Course Title No. Credit Pattern of Evaluation
Seminar Course: Project on a Philosophical Theme PH410S 4 End-semester seminar presentation

Semester III & IV - Winter (Optional)

Course Title Course No. Credit Pattern of Evaluation
Contending Theories on Justice   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Philosophical Discourses on Modernity and Postmodernity   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Diversity of Cultures and Multiculturalism: A Philosophical Study   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Personal Identity   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Philosophy of Mind   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Theories of Truth: Reading Quine, Davidson, Dummett and Putnam   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Facets of Existentialism   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Discourses on Value   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Ethics in Practice   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Debates in Contemporary Political Philosophy   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Philosophy and Feminism   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%
Philosophy and Literature   4 Two Mid-Semester Sessionals 50% 
End Semester Examination 50%

Philosophical Explorations of Indian Modernity

 PH425S 4 Two Mid Semester Sessionals of 1 credit each
(Comprising of two term papers cum seminar presentations)
End Semester Examination of 2 credits

Philosophical Foundations of Cognitive Science

 PH424S 4 Two Mid Semester Sessionals of 1 credit each
(Comprising of two term papers cum seminar presentations)
End Semester Examination of 2 credits

Nagarjuna’s Critique of Essence (Svabhava)

 PH423S 4 Two Mid Semester Sessionals of 1 credit each
(Comprising of two term papers cum seminar presentations)
End Semester Examination of 2 credits

A warm welcome to the modified and updated website of the Centre for East Asian Studies. The East Asian region has been at the forefront of several path-breaking changes since 1970s beginning with the redefining the development architecture with its State-led development model besides emerging as a major region in the global politics and a key hub of the sophisticated technologies. The Centre is one of the thirteen Centres of the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi that provides a holistic understanding of the region.

Initially, established as a Centre for Chinese and Japanese Studies, it subsequently grew to include Korean Studies as well. At present there are eight faculty members in the Centre. Several distinguished faculty who have now retired include the late Prof. Gargi Dutt, Prof. P.A.N. Murthy, Prof. G.P. Deshpande, Dr. Nranarayan Das, Prof. R.R. Krishnan and Prof. K.V. Kesavan. Besides, Dr. Madhu Bhalla served at the Centre in Chinese Studies Programme during 1994-2006. In addition, Ms. Kamlesh Jain and Dr. M. M. Kunju served the Centre as the Documentation Officers in Chinese and Japanese Studies respectively.

The academic curriculum covers both modern and contemporary facets of East Asia as each scholar specializes in an area of his/her interest in the region. The integrated course involves two semesters of classes at the M. Phil programme and a dissertation for the M. Phil and a thesis for Ph. D programme respectively. The central objective is to impart an interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding of history, foreign policy, government and politics, society and culture and political economy of the respective areas. Students can explore new and emerging themes such as East Asian regionalism, the evolving East Asian Community, the rise of China, resurgence of Japan and the prospects for reunification of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Centre lays great emphasis on the building of language skills. The background of scholars includes mostly from the social science disciplines; History, Political Science, Economics, Sociology, International Relations and language.

Several students of the centre have been recipients of prestigious research fellowships awarded by Japan Foundation, Mombusho (Ministry of Education, Government of Japan), Saburo Okita Memorial Fellowship, Nippon Foundation, Korea Foundation, Nehru Memorial Fellowship, and Fellowship from the Chinese and Taiwanese Governments. Besides, students from Japan receive fellowship from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.