Philosophy

The Foundations of Western Philosophy course at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts introduces students to the key ideas, thinkers, and schools that shaped Western philosophical thought. Covering ancient Greek philosophy, classical rationalists and empiricists, and Immanuel Kant, the course emphasizes metaphysics and epistemology as central to understanding philosophy. Students explore the historical development of ideas, critically analyze philosophical arguments, and relate classical perspectives to contemporary issues. Through lectures, discussions, group work, and audiovisual aids, learners develop analytical and interpretive skills, gaining a comprehensive grounding in Western philosophical traditions and their enduring relevance across disciplines and modern thought.

Foundations of Indian Philosophy introduces students to the major themes, texts, and schools that shape the Indian philosophical tradition. The course surveys Vedic and Upanishadic thought, heterodox systems such as Cārvāka, Buddhism, and Jainism, and the orthodox schools including Sāṃkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, and Vedānta. Emphasis is placed on epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics, while highlighting the historical development and lasting influence of these systems on Indian civilization. Through comparative references to Western philosophy and discussions on contemporary relevance, students develop critical perspectives on Indian philosophy’s role in modern intellectual and social contexts.

Modern Western Philosophy explores the development of philosophical thought in Europe from the Enlightenment to post-Enlightenment critiques. The course examines rationalism and empiricism through thinkers such as Descartes, Bacon, Spinoza, Locke, and Hobbes, highlighting debates on knowledge, ethics, politics, and science. It then addresses challenges to Enlightenment ideals through Hume and Rousseau, before moving to transformative philosophies of Kant, Hegel, and Nietzsche. Emphasis is placed on understanding philosophy within its social and intellectual revolutions and tracing the roots of contemporary disciplines. Through critical reading, discussion, and analysis, students develop a deeper understanding of modern Western philosophical traditions.

The Modern Indian Thinkers course explores the philosophies of key Indian intellectuals, including Ambedkar, Tilak, Gandhi, Vivekananda, Aurobindo, and J. Krishnamurthi. Students study the roots and evolution of their thought, examining social, ethical, political, and spiritual dimensions in the context of modern India. The course emphasizes connecting philosophical ideas to contemporary issues, fostering critical thinking and analytical skills. Through lectures, discussions, group work, essays, and presentations, learners develop a nuanced understanding of modern Indian philosophy and its relevance today. Evaluations include written tests, class participation, and viva, ensuring comprehensive engagement with the material.

This course explores major schools of contemporary philosophy, including Analytic Philosophy, Phenomenology, Existentialism, and Pragmatism. Students engage with key thinkers such as Russell, Frege, Wittgenstein, Husserl, Heidegger, Sartre, Pierce, William James, and John Dewey. The course emphasizes critical analysis of philosophical ideas, their origins, and their application to current philosophical debates. Through lectures, discussions, group work, and audio-visual aids, students develop the ability to compare and contrast different schools of thought and appreciate their distinctive approaches. Assessments include essays, presentations, written tests, and class participation, fostering both theoretical understanding and practical engagement with contemporary philosophy.

Phenomenology and Existentialism introduces students to key philosophical movements that explore human experience, consciousness, and existence. The course traces phenomenology from Husserl’s concepts of intentionality, life-world, and intersubjectivity to Heidegger’s ideas on authenticity, technology, and nature. It examines Sartre’s existentialism, Merleau-Ponty’s philosophy of the lived body, and post-phenomenological thinkers like Derrida and Levinas. Students critically engage with seminal texts, comparing themes and questions across thinkers. Pedagogy combines lectures, discussions, group work, and audio-visual aids to develop analytical and interpretive skills, enabling students to appreciate phenomenology’s influence on contemporary philosophy and its relevance to understanding human experience.

This course is meant to be an in depth study of the theory of ethics, meant for students who already have a familiarity with the subject. The course will track the development of the theory of ethics from the ancient Greeks up to the philosophical foundations of the modern human rights movement

This course is meant to introduce students to the foundational texts and thinkers of analytic philosophy. This school of thought is being presented as one of the three main branches of contemporary philosophy, along with phenomenology and pragmatism. Students will read works by Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein and Gilbert Ryle among others. They will also be introduced to contemporary debates regarding analytic philosophy

There is perhaps no more powerful word in the modern English lexicon than ‘Science’. This course aims to open the student’s mind to various ways in which this endeavor has been characterized and theorized on. Students will explore the theoretical foundations of distinctive methods used by modern science as well as the conceptual bases on which science is based.

This course is meant to introduce students to the foundational texts and thinkers of the pragmatist tradition in philosophy. This school of thought is being presented as one of the three main branches of contemporary philosophy, along with analytic philosophy and phenomenology. Students will read works by William James, John Dewey & Richard Rorty among others. They will also be introduced to contemporary debates related to pragmatism.

This is an advanced course in logic, since students would already be introducted to the subject through the ‘Logic’ core course. Students will study both formal and informal logic, including modern symbolic logic and aspects and induction, probability and scientific methodology. Logic being a vast and diverse field, this course will offer the students a good ground to then take up detailed study of any aspect of logic that they develop an interest in.