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Philosophy
B.A. major
Philosophy as a major studies how to reason and argue well — logic, ethics, theories of knowledge and of the mind — through Indian schools such as Nyaya, Vedanta, Buddhist and Jain thought, and through Western philosophers. The work is close reading of difficult texts and writing careful arguments.
After Philosophy, you can
How you get in
Class 12 in any stream. Central and many other universities admit through CUET-UG; others admit on Class 12 marks or their own test. Fewer colleges offer philosophy than most other arts majors, so check which universities near you teach it.
At a glance
- There is no single 'philosopher' job; graduates carry reasoning and writing skills into writing, editing, research, law and teaching.
- Philosophy is an optional subject in the UPSC Civil Services exam, and the ethics paper in general studies covers related ground.
- College teaching needs a master's plus UGC-NET or a Ph.D., and posts are limited.
- Common next steps: an M.A. Philosophy, a 3-year LL.B., public policy study, or civil-services preparation.
In numbers
Postgraduate students in Philosophy2
in students
Postgraduate (not B.A.) enrolment, shown as a guide to how many continue in the subject. AISHE counts only responding institutions, and coverage varies by year.