Course Descriptions

Area Elective-II

General Elective-I

The basic theories of philosophy of morality and political philosophy. The foundations of value judgements, actions and choices. The relationship of morality with reason and emotion. The problem of free will and determinism. Universalism, relativism, objectivism and subjectivism in Ethics. Normative theories in ethics: Eudaimonism, hedonism, utilitarianism, altruism, egoism. The capitalism-communism antagonism and theories of socialism. Issues in Applied Ethics such as suicide, euthanasia, abortion, genetic engineering, animal rights, environmental problems and armament. The theories of philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Proudhon, Nietzsche and Marx on morality and politics.

The relationship between knowledge and science. The characteristics of scientific knowledge and theories. The problem of demarcation. The distinction between science and pseudo-science. Scientific method. Observation and experimentation. Models of scientific explanation. The principle of causality. Types of inferences: Induction and deduction. Truth, falsity and validity. The distinction between fact and fiction. Falsifiability, verifiability, empirical testability, cognitive meaning. Scientific revolutions and transformations. Theories of paradigm and progressive research programmes.

The basic theories of the Philosophy of Art. The definition and structure of art. The foundations of aesthetic judgements. The relationship between aesthetic judgements with reason and emotion. The concepts of beauty and ugliness, order and chaos, harmony and disharmony. Universalism, relativism, objectivism and subjectivism in Aesthetics. The relationship between aesthetic judgements and the structure of the mind. The theories of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche on art.

Social construction of science and technology. Sociological aspects of science and technology. Ethnographic studies of scientific work. Ethical aspects of scientific and technological change. Technologies and everyday life. Scientific knowledge and scientific knowledge making. Scientific paradigms and boundaries of science. Lab studies. Science in a post-truth world. Technology, industry and labor relations.

The debates about the cultural consequences of globalization. The homogenizing versus crystallization of cultures in the face of global forces. The role of national cultural policies, international organizations and local communities in the protection of cultural heritage. Debates about authenticity, tradition, and hybridization as the consequences of cultural mingling.

Area Elective-III

Basic elements and principles of environmental quality. Concept of ecosystem. Resources, mineral cycles in living systems. Population, food and hunger; energy and environment. Effects of human activities on health and environment. Waste and disease. Water pollution, water pollutants and control. Air pollution, local and global problems. Solid wastes and management. Land use and misuse. Technology and environment. Industrial pollution, waste minimization, hazardous substances and wastes. Societal and ethical problems.

Area Elective-IV