Sample Questions for the Department of Philosophy

Set 1
1. Who is the Father of modern philosophy?

a) Locke b) Kant

b) Descartes d) Plato

2. Who is the writer of “Critique of Pure Reason”?

a) Hume b) Berkeley

c)Kant d) Locke

3) “Cogito Ergo sum” – Who said this?

a)Descartes b) Locke

c)Spinoza d)Kant

4) Among them who is a Greek philosopher?

a) Ayer b)Kant

c)Spencer d)Aristotle

5) According to Nyaya philosophers how many pramanas are accepted?

a) One b) Three

c) Four d) Two

6) Which school of philosophy accept “Perception is the only Pramana”?

a) Charvaka b) Buddhism
 c) Nyaya d) Jaina

7) Who is the father of Nyaya philosophy?

a) Kanada b) Gautama

c) Samkara d) Patanjali

8) “Nirguna Brahaman is the Ultimate Truth” – who said this?

a) Samkara b) Kumaril

c) Ramanuja d) Madhav

9) According to the Naiyayikas we perceive cowness by –

a) Samanyalaksana pratyaksa b) Linga paramarsa

c) Jnanalaksana Pratyaksa d) Jogoja Pratyaksa

10. Which one among the following is not purusratha?

a) Dharma b) Artha

c) Kama d) Isvara

11. What is the relation between A and E?

a) Contrary b) Contradiction

c) Sub altern d) Sub contrary

12. In logic inference means –

 a) Only Premiss b) Only conclusion

c) Premiss and Conclusion d) None of the above

13. Conclusion of an Induction is –

a) Certain b) Probable

c) Truth d) Proved

14. If A is True what is I?

a) True b) False

c) Uncertain d) Probable

15. CAMENES is –

a) 1st Figure b) 2nd Figure

c) 3rd Figure d) 4th Figure

16. Who is the writer of “Religion of Man” –

a) Rabindranath b) Vivekananda

c) Tolstoy d) Arobindo

17. Who is the Father of Advaitavedanata?

a) Samkara b) Ramanuja

c) Madhav d) Nimbarka
18. How many types of Arya Satya have been accepted in Bauddha philosophy?

a) One b) Two

c) Three d) Four

19. Which school of philosophy propounded the “Theory of Dependent Origination”?

a) Nyaya b) Buddha

c) Jaina d) Vaisesika

20. Which of the following is a nastika school?

a) Nyaya b) Mimansa

c) Charvaka d) Vedanta

21. How many ideas are accepted by Descartes?

a) One b) Two

c) Three d) Four

22. According to whom Nature = God?

a) Spinoza b) Descartes

c) Locke d) Hume

23. In Logic we find ……..types of argument.

a) Two b) Three
 c) One d) Four

24. Particular negative proposition means

a) E proposition b) I proposition

c) A proposition d) O proposition

25. E proposition distributes subject but not the predicate.

a) True b) False

c) Doubtful c) None of the above

26. Tabula rasa means –

a) Clean Head b) Clean Paper

c) Clean Plate None of these

27.How many conditions are there of propositional knowledge?

a) One b) Two

c) Three d) Four

28. “I can swim” – what type of knowledge is this?

a) Propositional Knowledge b) Knowing how

c) Acquaintance d) None of the above

29. Obversion of A is
 a) E b) I

c) O d) A

30. Conversion of O is

a) A b) E

c) I d) Impossible

………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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 Answer Key

1. c

2. c

3. a

4. d

5. c

6. a

7. b

8. a

9. a

10. d

11. a

12. c

13. b

14. a

15. d

16. a

17. a

18. d

19. b
20. c

21. c

22. a

23. a

24. d

25. b

26. b

27. c

28. b

29. a

30. d

Set 2

1. Which pramana is accepted by Charvakas ?----

(a)Anumana (b) Shabda (c) Pratyaksha (d)Upamana

2. Which element is denied by the Charvakas ?----

(a) Earth (b) Water (c)Fire (d)Ether

3. Who is the founder of Nyaya Philosophy ?----

(a) Gautam Buddha (b)Maharshi Goutam (C) Kapil Muni (d) Patanjali

4. How many laukika sannikarsha are accepted by Naiyaikas ---?

(a)one (b)two(c) six (d) fore

5. According to Buddhists the theory about self is called -------(a) Dehatmabada (b)

Nairatmavada (c) Ksanabhangavada (d) Samantaralbada

 6. How many Noble Truth are accepted by the Buddhists?-----(a) One (b) four (c) three (d)

two

7. Which reality is ascribed to Brahma according to Shankaracharya?-----

(a)Pratibhasika (b)Jagatika (c)Vyavaharika (d)Paramarthika

8. According to Shankaracharya Maya is------

(a)Sat (b)Asat (c)Mithya (d)Anirbachaniya

9. What is the meaning of “Philos”?----

(a)Love (b)Wisdom (c)Religion (d)Justice

10.Who is the founder of the word “Philosophy”?----

(a)Pythagorus (b)Heraclitus (c)Anaxagorus (d)Plato

11. “Philosophy is derived from doubt”—Who said this?---

(a)Plato (b)Aristotle (c)Descartes (d) Spinoza

12. How many Pramana do the Carvaka accept?

(a)One (b)Two (c)Three (d)Four

13.Who is not an empiricist?---

(a)Locke (b) Berkeley (c)Spinoza (d)Hume

14.Who is the founder of Representative Realism?-----

(a)Descartes (b)Locke (c)Russel (d)Kant

15.Hume's doctrine about Causality is called-----

(a)Entailment theory (b) Interactionism theory (c)Regularity theory (d)Parallalism theory

16.Which of the following statement is true about a proposition?---

(a)True (b)Valid (c)Invalid (d)Probable

17.How many parts are accepted in an argument?----

(a)One (b)Two (c)Three (d)Four

18.What type of inference is Conversion----

(a)Inductive (b)Deductive (c)Mediate (d) Immediate

19.What kinds of opposition of proposition are accepted by Aristotle?---

(a)One (b)Two (c)Three (d)Four

20.If O is false what is the truth value of E---

(a)True (b)False (c)Doubtful (d)valid

21.Particular Affirmative proposition is---

(a)A (b) E (c) I (d) O

22.Of which proposition conversion is not possible---

(a)A (b)E (c)I (d)O

23.How many figures are accepted in categorical syllogism?---

 (a)One (b)Two (c)Three (d)Four

24.In which figure ‘CAMESTRES’ is included?---

(a)First (b)Second (c)Third (d)Fourth

25.If A is false what is the truth value of O---

(a)True (b)False (c)Doubtful (d)Invalid

26.What type of proposition is the conclusion of an inductive argument---

(a)Universal (b)Particular (c)Synthetic (d)Universal Synthetic

27.Who is the founder of the experimental method of inductive argument?---

(a)Boole (b)Aristotle (c)Mill (d)Plato

28.If I is true what is the truth value of E?---

(a)True (b) Doubtful (c)False (d)Probable

29.Universal Negetive proposition is---

(a)A (b) E (c) I (d)O

30.Which type proposition of may be the conclusion of an inductive argument?---

(a)Valid (b)Invalid (c)Probable (d)Certain

Answer Keys

1. (c) 2.(d) 3.(b) 4.(c) 5.(b) 6.(b)

7.(d) 8.(d) 9.(a) 10.(a) 11. (c) 12.(a)

13.(c) 14.(b) 15.(c) 16.(a) 17(b) 18.(d)

19.(d) 20.(b) 21.(c) 22.(d) 23.(d) 24.(b)

25.(a) 26.(d) 27.(c) 28.(c) 29.(b) 30.(c)

Paper 1

1. What is astika and nastik philosophy?

2. What is the meaning of sat and ksanik in Buddhist philosophy?

3. What are the twenty five evolutes stated in the Sankhya philosophy?

4. On what grounds do the Carvakas refute anumana as a pramana?

5. What is the theory of syadvada?

6. Explain the Buddhist doctrine of Nairatmavada?

7. Explain after Nyaya the nature of the relation of vyapti?

8. Why is samanya admitted as a separate category?

9. What are the various types of Abhava?

10. Point out the difference between purusa and prakriti after Sankhya philosophy?

11. What according to the Sankhya system are the reasons for admitting the existence of prakriti?

12. Give a brief account of the eight angas of yoga?

13. Which pramana according to the Bhatta Mimamsa causes the cognition of an absence of a
pratiyogin?

14. Explain the nature of Maya after Shankaracharya?

15. In which sense is the world false in advaita philosophy?

16. What is Brahman according to Shankaracharya?

17. Why is the view of Ramanujacharya known as Visistadvaitavada?

18. What according to Ramanujacharya is the nature of Brahman?

19. Discuss after Ramanujacharya regarding the relatio between Brahman on the one hand and
jiva and jagat on the other?

20. How has Ramanuj refuted the doctrine of Maya?

Paper 2

21. What do mean by experimental method?

22. Define perception. Explain the Gestalt theory of perception.

23. Explain the theory of learning by insight.

24. Is mind co- extensive with consciousness?

25. How is the mental age determined?

26. What is an association? What is meant by institution?

27. Define family and explain it's nature.

28. Explain and examine Gandhi's concept of social change?

29. What is scientific socialism and utopian socialism?

30. Discuss in brief the principal forms of democratic government.

Paper - 3

31. What is meant by innate idea?

32. How does Locke distinguish between the Primary and secondary qualities of matter?

33. What are the different degrees of knowledge according to Locke?

34. "Esseest Percipii" discuss.

35. Discuss Berkeley's view of God.

36.Discuss causal relation after Hume.

37.What is the main problem of Kant's philosophy?

38.How does Kant prove that mathematical judgments are a priori and synthetic?

39.Discuss Plato's theory of knowledge?

40. Explain Aristotle's doctrine of causation.

41."Cogito ergo sum"..explain after Descartes.

42.What does Spinoza mean by "Natuea Naturata"?

43.What is monad according to Leibniz?

44.What is "law of sufficient reason"?

45.What is "Pre - established harmony"?

Paper - 4

46. Explain existential fallacy with an example?

47. What is validity?

48.What is truth?

49. Why don't the modern logicians accept contrary opposition as valid opposition?

50. What is scientific hypothesis?

51. Write notes on different meanings of cause.

52. What is Mill'S method of difference.

53. Explain the paradoxes of material implication.

54.What is Dilemma?

55. What is meant by the a priori theory of probability?

Paper 5

56. Explain the definition of yathartha anubhav.

57.Elucide Annambhatta`s definition of aprama.

58.Explain Annambhatta`s definition of Buddhisi.

59.What is 'karana' and 'vyapara'?

60. Explain and illustrate the different kinds of Karanas.

61.What is prataksa ?according to Annambhatta .

62.What is pakshta .

63.What are the different types of hetvabhasa ?Explain.

64.Explain with an example the definition of upamiti ?

65.What does Annambhatta mean by 'akanksa ','yogyata' and 'sannidhi'?

66.Discuss in detail the Nyaya and Mimamsa view regarding the knowledge of the validity of

cognition.

67.Explain and examine Conceptrationalism .

68.explain the different types theory of truth. Explain the different

senses in which ''know' is used .

69.Explain with illustration the different meaning of the word 'purpose '.

70.what exactly is the problem of Induction ?

71.What is determinism ? Explain Theory of mind body

Interactionism.

72.What is the main thesis of phenomenolism ?

73.What is meant by definition ?What is ostensive definition?

74.Briefly explain the principle criteria of sentence meaning.

75.Distinction between apriori and aposteriori.

76.state and explain the principles of Logic.

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