Philosophy
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CSS Philosophy
The Philosophy optional subject in the FPSC CSS Exam is ideal for aspirants passionate about abstract thinking, logic, and deep inquiry. This subject explores epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, and Western & Islamic philosophical traditions. With a logical structure and conceptual clarity, Philosophy is a scoring subject even for non-philosophy graduates.
This page provides a complete CSS Philosophy syllabus breakdown, key topics, and an ideal reading path to help you master the subject and maximize your marks.
As per FPSC Syllabus – Total Marks: 100
Paper Division: Two Sections
Section A: Western Philosophy
| Topic | Short Description |
|---|---|
| Ancient Greek Philosophy | Contributions of Socrates, Plato (Theory of Forms), and Aristotle (Logic, Ethics, Politics). |
| Medieval Philosophy | Philosophy of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas; relationship between faith and reason. |
| Rationalism | Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz — knowledge through reason, mind-body dualism, metaphysics. |
| Empiricism | Locke, Berkeley, Hume — knowledge through experience, perception, and skepticism. |
| Kant’s Critical Philosophy | Synthetic a priori judgments, transcendental idealism, reconciliation of rationalism and empiricism. |
| Modern & Contemporary Philosophy | Hegel (dialectics), Marx (materialism), Nietzsche, Logical Positivism, Existentialism (Sartre, Camus), and Pragmatism (Dewey, James). |
Section B: Muslim/Islamic Philosophy
| Topic | Short Description |
|---|---|
| Basic Doctrines | Unity of God (Tawheed), concept of being, human freedom, purpose of life. |
| Major Philosophers | Al-Farabi (ideal state), Al-Ghazali (critique of reason), Ibn Rushd (Aristotelian logic), Ibn Sina (soul and intellect), Shah Waliullah (revivalist thought). |
| Comparison with Western Thought | Comparative analysis between Islamic and Western concepts of reality, knowledge, and ethics. |