• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

There is no single Indian philosophy, but rather a plurality of ways of understanding and relating to Reality from a stock of widely held ideas reflected in the Vedas and the Upanishads, and particularly in the classical systems of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Philosophy becomes thematic at various levels and in different contexts, in debates concerning the status of 14 certain concepts as the soul, God, substances, universals, time, change, permanence/ impermanence, one and many, etc. This Course helps a student to understand the different aspects and systems of Indian Philosophy in its long formation.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Logic is the systematic study of the general structures of sound reasoning and valid arguments. It is the study of the methods and principles used to distinguish good (correct) from the bad (incorrect) reasoning. The study of logic through the course will explain techniques andmethods for testing the correctness of different kinds of reasoning. Logic will provide us with criteria to correct reasoning with which we can test arguments for their correctness.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The ethics are adopted spontaneously, and in general these prototypes stem from models and attitudes adopted as historical and cultural factors. These are not mere charters as directives for life, but the shaping of one’s life in accordance with certain mores/customs. An action was considered to be morally good or bad if it was in line with or against the customs and traditions of the particular era or society.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The course investigates the origin, 13 structure, methods and the validity of knowledge. It answers the question, “How do we know?” This is the philosophy of knowledge concerned with such questions as; is knowledge of anything really possible, is our knowledge certain, how do we get our knowledge

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

We live in an anthropocentric world, where human person is considered as the centre and summit and measure of everything. Philosophical Anthropology deals with those vital and significant questions that touch our own very existence – Who am I? Why am I in this world? Where am I going?, etc.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Diversity is a lived experience. In our world and particularly in India, we experience diversity of religions, cultures, world-views, languages and customs. India is not only a ‘melting pot’ of diverse religions but place of mutual interaction, dialogue and appreciation of everything plural that forms the fabric of our country. In this course, we focus our attention on the experience of diversity of religions in our world and in our country and try to understand how we can respond to this dynamic scenario that invites a responsible and creative approach. Our response is based on the responses of many enlightened seers and thinkers who have raised the question of plurality of religions and attempted to present their positions in the face of diverse and often seemingly contradictory religions.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Every society has its own philosophy or world-view which is given expression in a unique way. The expression is two-fold: the act of expression and what is expressed; the act of expression is visible but what is expressed is invisible. The invisibles are the meanings and values the people live by. The tribals and dalits cherish and reveal their philosophy in their cultural expressions. For instance,as most of them are agriculturalists, living in the lap of nature, they have a very practical philosophy of life. To them life is a long celebration, communitarian, and totally dependent on the Supreme Being. This is what they express through their festivals, rituals, songs and dances. These suggest the philosophy that work, however rewarding, is not the highest end of life but must contribute to personal human fulfillment. The course on “Dalit Philosophy” is designed to study these and similarphilosophical presuppositions and implications present in their societies.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

A method is the systematic or patterned way of doing an activity and Philosophical method or philosophical methodology is the study of how to do philosophy or answer philosophical questions.A common view among philosophers is that philosophy is distinguished by the methods that philosophers follow in tackling philosophical questions. Of course, there is not just one method that philosophers use to answer philosophical questions. Philosophy, it has been said, begins in wonder and scientific research relies on the application of the scientific method for harnessing this curiosity. The course on research methodology in philosophy gives a detailed look at the different methods applied by philosophers of different ages in their pursuit of unveiling the face of reality. It also prepares the students for further research work by introducing them to scientific research methodologies.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The course is aimed at helping students understand some of the basic concepts and principles of peace studies. It purports to familiarize students with the central issues of and theories associated with conflicts, reduction and resolution of conflicts and achieving peace. Also, it seeks to develop the ability of students to understand how the different approaches and explanatory factors at different levels are combined in an analysis of conflict and peace. In defining the contours of peace studies, it may be said that it is an approach to deal with prevention, de-escalation and resolution of conflicts by peaceful means. In other words, resolution of conflicts attempts to minimize violence in a conflict, overcome antagonisms between adversaries and find outcomes and settlements acceptable to all and which are enduring.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The course discusses the relation of faith to reason, the existence and unity of God, the object of theology and Metaphysics, and the problems of knowledge, of universals, and of individuation.The chief philosophical reflection was around human’s relationship with other human beings, the world, and God. It was a period of ‘tension’ between philosophy and theology of major monotheistic religions. During this era philosophy became a system, with well-established schools.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The word meta in Greek means above, after or beyond; this is the study of the nature of things above/ after/beyond physics. Aristotle’s papers included his works on physics and his treatises on ultimate reality. Since these untitled treatises of Aristotle were placed at the end of his famous work ta phusika (The Physics) people began to call them meta ta phusika (The Metaphysics). It is a branch of philosophy, which studies realities beyond physical things. Metaphysics is therefore after physics in so far as it goes beyond the physical nature of things to the being of things.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

This course includes the study of history of science, philosophy of science and scientific cosmology. The course surveys how science from its inception in the pre-Socratic period grew up to become the highly developed and sophisticated form of human knowledge today. Philosophy of science concentrates on the modern theories of relativity and quantum mechanics in order to bring out their philosophical implications. Finally, scientific cosmology focuses on the origin, development, nature and destiny of the universe in the light of contemporary scientific theories.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

It is a philosophical thinking or reflection on religion by applying the philosophical method. It takes up basic problems relating to God / Absolute. It also speculates about the origin, nature and function of religion. The task of Philosophy of Religion is to explain as best as it can, in its own language and to the rational and intellectual parts of human the beliefs, truths, the experience and the laws of religion. When Philosophy of Religion studies different religions, it finds that there is a fundamental unity that lies at the root of every religion with regard to three matters: faith in an Absolute Being of at least some kind, belief in the immortality of the soul, and the fundamental principles of morality. The course can help a person to respect other religions than one’s own. Philosophy of Religion is an antidote to all kinds of dogmatism, fanaticism, irrationalism and superstitions in religions, which have been responsible for much abuse of its name.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Aesthetics or the philosophy of art refers to the sensory contemplation or appreciation of an object. Aesthetics, as a branch of philosophy, not only speaks about art and to produce judgments about the art works, but also gives a definition of what art is. Art is an autonomous entity for philosophy as it deals with the senses and art is as such free of any moral or political purpose. Aesthetics, a subdiscipline of axiology, is a critical reflection on art, culture and nature and studies new ways ofseeing and of perceiving the world. This course gives a detailed expression of the understanding of art in the east and west and also takes a look at the applicability of this learning.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The unpolluted concepts of nature and life of men living with the nature seem original and practical. There are particular philosophies running through the tribal congregations, which are the foundations of their religious and political practices. It is also important to know about their world view as they are directly related to nature. This course will take the students through the various aspects of the tribal thoughts, the foundations of tribal religions and culture.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

It is largely by technology that contemporary society hangs together. It is hugely important not only as an economic force but also as a cultural force. During the last two centuries, much philosophy of technology has been concerned with the impact of technology on society. The new development in science applications led to philosophy of technology, which seeks continuity with the philosophy of science rather than social science and the humanities. This course will give students the much desired opening to current scientific debates and areas of philosophical problems.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The mind-body problem, i.e. the relationship of the mind to the body, is seen to be the central issue in philosophy of mind, although there are other issues concerning the nature of the mind that do not involve its relation to the physical body. The different conceptual approaches have been particularly influential in the sciences, especially in the fields of sociobiology, computer science, evolutionary psychology and the various neurosciences. Continued neuroscientific progress has helped to clarify some of the related issues. However, they are far from having been resolved, and modern philosophers of mind continue to ask how the subjective qualities and the intentionality of mental states and properties can be explained in naturalistic terms. This course takes a dive into the whole problem, the different approaches taken towards them and will lead the students through philosophy’s most recent engagement with science in going through the developments in neuroscience and artificial intelligence.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Gandhian philosophy is derived from Gandhi’s basic vision of life and his commitment. Truth is at the centre of his basic quest for knowledge (epistemologically), of his religious and metaphysical quest (ontological truth) and of his quest for a good life (moral truth). The quest to know ‘Truth’ is an ever unfinished quest and life is a continuous ‘experiment with Truth.’ Synthesizing two models of God - theistic God and impersonal Absolute, Gandhi speaks of God both as personal and as absolute Truth. In his philosophy of religion Gandhi validates all religions as equal paths to truth and calls for more positive love and respect towards all than just religious tolerance. Anthropological notion of Gandhi guides the humans to realize themselves to be what they are and to strive towards life of perfection in the material world. Ethical and political teachings of Gandhi on Ahimsa, Satyagraha, Swarajya and Sarvodaya are from his life of conviction and commitment towards personal integrity and political freedom. Social philosophy of Gandhi focuses on the overall development of the society with egalitarian outlook. The course aims at bringing out the contemporaryrelevance and significance of Gandhian philosophy besides delineating its fundamental tenets.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

Interactions of science and technology with religion and culture, globalization of economy and cross cultural communications have facilitated the contemporary world to appreciate the diversity of faiths, cultures and value systems. Such a new force enables the individuals to discover the inner dimensions of human personality towards a rather higher state of consciousness. Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts provide the philosophic base for a more synthetic approach to life and activities. Having undergone a deep spiritual transformation Sri Aurobindo abandoned political nationalism and devoted his life to the quest for the Absolute. His thoughts centered on the experience of the fundamental unity of being which is basic to spiritual experience. His integral vision of reality with the synthetic approach to life has a potentiality to dissimilate into the various fields and trends of present society in order to fashion the future destiny of humanity on earth. The course aims at displaying theessential thought of Sri Aurobindo and spelling out its relevance in the contemporary world.

• Prof. Nandini Sinha Kapur

The project work or dissertation aims at making the student philosophize in the context at the end of their post graduate studies. Using the research method the student works independently with his or her guide who provides necessary guidance for the proposed project. In presenting their ideas through the project or research paper the student works out on a particular theme with a review of the relevant materials on the research topic. The project work prepares the student with necessary research skills for the further research in the M. Phil and Ph. D levels.