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    GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027 (Out) - Check Chapter & Topics Wise Syllabus Weightage

    GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027 (Out) - Check Chapter & Topics Wise Syllabus Weightage

    Simran KashyapUpdated on 22 Jul 2026, 01:43 PM IST

    GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027 - IIT Madras has published the GATE 2027 Philosophy syllabus online, on the official website, gate2027.iitm.ac.in. Candidates can check the GATE Philosophy syllabus 2027 here in this article. The authority has revised the GATE syllabus 2027 online. Students should carefully check the GATE 2027 syllabus before preparation of the exam. The GATE syllabus comprises the important topics that will be asked in the exam. The GATE Philosophy XH4 is one of the important sections of the Humanities and Social Sciences paper. The GATE 2027 Philosophy syllabus is divided into four chapters. The authority will conduct the GATE 2027 exam on February 6,7, 13, 14, 20 & 21, 2027. Candidates are advised to check the GATE 2027 exam pattern along with the syllabus. Read the article for the GATE Philosophy syllabus 2027.

    This Story also Contains

    1. GATE 2027 Philosophy Syllabus
    2. GATE 2027 Philosophy Exam pattern
    3. GATE Philosophy 2027 - Marking Scheme
    4. GATE Preparation Tips 2027
    GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027 (Out) - Check Chapter & Topics Wise Syllabus Weightage
    GATE Philosophy Syllabus

    GATE 2027 Philosophy Syllabus

    IIT Madras has activated the GATE Philosophy syllabus 2027 PDF link on its official website. The GATE Philosophy syllabus 2027 covers Classical Indian Philosophy, Contemporary Indian Philosophy, Classical and Modern Western Philosophy, and Contemporary Western Philosophy. It includes major philosophical schools, thinkers, logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and political philosophy. Candidates should prepare all sections thoroughly to study and perform well in the GATE XH4 examination.

    GATE XH4 Philosophy Syllabus 2027 Overview

    Section

    Topics Covered

    XH4.1

    Classical Indian Philosophy

    XH4.2

    Contemporary Indian Philosophy

    XH4.3

    Classical and Modern Western Philosophy

    XH4.4

    Contemporary Western Philosophy

    Section XH4.1: Classical Indian Philosophy

    This section introduces the major schools of Indian philosophy and their key concepts.

    Orthodox Systems

    School

    Topics Covered

    Sānkhya

    Puruṣa, Prakṛti, Guṇas, Satkāryavāda, Mokṣa (Kaivalya), Pramāṇas, Theory of Error

    Yoga

    Pramāṇas, Theory of Error, Iśvara, Citta, Kleśa, Aṣṭāṅga Yoga, Kaivalya (Mokṣa)

    Nyāya

    Pramāṇas, Hetvābhāsa, Iśvara, Asatkāryavāda, Theory of Error, Navya-Nyāya

    Vaiśeṣika

    Parataḥprāmāṇya, Padārthas, Theory of Atomism (Paramāṇuvāda)

    Mīmāṃsā

    Dharma, Apūrva, Mokṣa, Pramāṇas (Kumārila and Prabhākara), Anyathākhyāti

    Vedānta

    Advaita, Viśiṣṭādvaita, Dvaita, Dvaitādvaita, Śuddhādvaita, Brahman, Ātman, Jīva, Mokṣa, Pramāṇa

    Heterodox Systems

    School

    Topics Covered

    Cārvāka

    Pramāṇa, Indian Materialism, Hedonism

    Jainism

    Pramāṇas, Syādvāda, Anekāntavāda, Padārthas, Jīva, Ajīva, Mokṣa, Mahāvrata, Aṇuvrata

    Buddhism

    Ti-piṭaka, Sarvāstivāda, Sautrāntika, Mādhyamika, Yogācāra (Vijñānavāda), Pañca-skandha, Anityavāda, Anātmavāda, Doctrine of Momentariness, Dependent Origination, Two Truths, Tri-kāya, Ṣaḍ-pāramitās, Brahmavihāras, Pāñcaśīla, Bodhisattva Ideal, Upāyakauśalya

    Upaniṣads, Bhagavad Gītā and Dharmaśāstras

    Topics Covered

    Pure Monism

    Brahman and Ātman

    Pañca-kośa

    Parā-vidyā and Aparā-vidyā

    Dharma and Ṛta

    Puruṣārtha

    Śreyas and Preyas

    Varṇāśrama Dharma

    Svadharma and Sādhāraṇa Dharma

    Ṛna

    Yajña

    Karma Yoga

    Sthitaprajña

    Lokasaṃgraha

    Law of Karma

    Kāṣmīra Śaivism, Śaivasiddhānta, Vīra Śaivism, Śāktism and Vaiṣṇavism

    School

    Topics Covered

    Kāṣmīra Śaivism

    Pratyābhijña School, Śiva, Śakti, Conception of Kriyā

    Śaivasiddhānta

    God (Pati), Divine Power (Śakti), Proofs for God's Existence, Bondage and Liberation

    Vīra Śaivism

    Philosophical Basis

    Śāktism

    Philosophical Basis

    Vaiṣṇavism

    Philosophical Basis

    Section XH4.2: Contemporary Indian Philosophy

    This section focuses on the contributions of modern Indian philosophers and social reformers.

    Philosopher

    Topics Covered

    Swami Vivekananda

    Practical Vedanta, Nature of Religion, Destiny of the Soul, Realisation of Immortality

    Sri Aurobindo

    Evolution, Mind and Supermind, Integral Yoga

    Muhammad Iqbal

    Self, God, Man and Superman, Intellect and Intuition

    Rabindranath Tagore

    Religion of Man, Education, Nationalism

    K.C. Bhattacharyya

    Swaraj in Ideas, Concept of Philosophy, Subject as Freedom, Doctrine of Māyā

    S. Radhakrishnan

    Intellect and Intuition, Idealist View of Life, Universal Religion, Hindu View of Life

    J. Krishnamurti

    Thought, Freedom from the Known, Analysis of Self, Choiceless Awareness

    Mahatma Gandhi

    Truth, Non-violence, Satyagraha, Swaraj, Hind Swaraj

    B.R. Ambedkar

    Indian Constitution, Untouchability, Democracy

    Daya Krishna

    Three Myths about Indian Philosophy

    Section XH4.3: Classical and Modern Western Philosophy

    Metaphysics

    Topics Covered

    Pre-Socratic philosophers

    Plato's Theory of Being

    Aristotle's Metaphysics

    Being, Matter and Form

    Problem of Evil

    Existence of God

    Mind-Body Dualism

    Substance

    Parallelism

    Pre-established Harmony

    Self and Personal Identity

    Solipsism

    Rejection of Metaphysics

    Phenomena and Noumena

    Transcendental Deduction of Categories

    Being and Becoming

    Absolute Idealism

    Epistemology

    Topics Covered

    Plato and Aristotle's Theory of Knowledge

    Doxa, Episteme, Sophia

    Dialectics

    Theory of Causation

    Descartes' Method of Doubt

    Cogito Ergo Sum

    Innate Ideas

    Locke's Theory of Knowledge

    Berkeley's Critique of Abstract Ideas

    Hume's Impressions and Ideas

    Induction and Causality

    Kant's Copernican Revolution

    Forms of Sensibility

    Synthetic a priori Judgments

    Hegel's Dialectics

    Spirit and Absolute Idealism

    Gettier Problem and Major Responses

    Ethics

    Topics Covered

    Egoism, Altruism, Universalism

    Subjectivism

    Cultural Relativism

    Ethical Realism and Anti-realism

    Ethical Cognitivism and Non-cognitivism

    Intuitionism

    Good, Right, Justice, Duty

    Cardinal Virtues

    Eudaemonism

    Kant's Moral Theory

    Categorical Imperative

    Utilitarianism

    Bentham and J.S. Mill

    Care Ethics

    Theories of Punishment

    Professional Ethics

    Corporate Governance

    Social Responsibility

    Environmental Ethics

    Land Ethic

    Deep Ecology

    Animal Rights

    Bioethics

    Doctor–Patient Relationship

    Euthanasia

    Social and Political Philosophy

    Topics Covered

    Plato's Theory of Justice

    Aristotle's Political Philosophy

    Classical Liberalism

    Social Contract Theory

    Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau

    Marx's Dialectical Materialism

    Alienation

    Critique of Capitalism

    Rawls' Veil of Ignorance

    Principles of Justice

    Civic Virtue

    Libertarianism (Robert Nozick)

    Feminist Political Theory

    Multiculturalism

    Capability Approach

    Logic

    Topics Covered

    Truth and Validity

    Nature of Propositions

    Categorical Syllogism

    Laws of Thought

    Classification of Propositions

    Square of Opposition

    Truth Functions

    Propositional Logic

    Quantification

    Rules of Quantification

    Symbolic Logic

    Truth Tables

    Deductive and Inductive Logic

    Causality

    Mill's Method

    Section XH4.4: Contemporary Western Philosophy

    This section covers major twentieth-century philosophical traditions and influential thinkers.

    Philosopher / School

    Topics Covered

    Frege

    Sense and Reference

    Logical Positivism

    Verification Theory of Meaning, Elimination of Metaphysics

    G.E. Moore

    Common Sense Philosophy, Proof of an External World

    Bertrand Russell

    Logical Atomism, Definite Descriptions, Refutation of Idealism

    Ludwig Wittgenstein

    Picture Theory, Meaning and Use, Forms of Life, Private Language

    Gilbert Ryle

    Systematically Misleading Expressions, Critique of Cartesian Dualism

    W.V.O. Quine

    Two Dogmas of Empiricism

    P.F. Strawson

    Concept of Person

    Edmund Husserl

    Phenomenology, Intentionality, Reduction, Inter-subjectivity

    Martin Heidegger

    Dasein, Being-in-the-World

    Jean-Paul Sartre

    Types of Being, Freedom, Bad Faith

    Maurice Merleau-Ponty

    Perception, Embodied Consciousness

    William James

    Pragmatism, Meaning, Truth, Religious Experience

    John Dewey

    Inquiry, Fallibilism, Experience, Education

    Friedrich Nietzsche

    Critique of Enlightenment, Will to Power, Genealogy of Morals, Overman

    Jürgen Habermas

    Communicative Rationality

    GATE 2027 Philosophy Exam pattern

    The authority has released the GATE Philosophy exam pattern 2027 on the official website. Candidates can check the exam pattern of GATE for Philosophy below.

    GATE Philosophy Exam Pattern

    Particulars

    Details

    Examination Mode

    Computer Based Test (Online)

    Duration

    3 Hours

    Section

    • General Aptitude (GA)

    • Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

    • Philosophy (XH-C4)

    Type of Questions

    • Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

    • Multiple Select Questions (MSQs)

    • Numerical Answer Type (NAT) Questions

    Total Marks

    100 Marks

    Marking Scheme

    All of the questions will be worth 1 or 2 marks

    GATE Negative Marking

    • MCQs - 1 mark for each correct answer; 1/3 mark will be deducted for every wrong answer.

    • MCQs - 2 marks for each correct answer; 2/3 marks will be deducted for every incorrect response.

    • No negative marking for MSQ & NAT.

    • No partial marking for MSQ type questions.

    GATE Philosophy 2027 - Marking Scheme

    Candidates can check the section-wise GATE 2027 Philosophy marking scheme below. It helps them understand the marks and weightage of each section in the exam. The table will be updated with the official GATE 2027 Philosophy marking scheme once it is released.

    GATE Philosophy Marking scheme

    Subject

    Marks Allotted

    General Aptitude (GA)

    15

    Reasoning and Comprehension (XH-B1)

    25

    Economics (XH-C4)

    60

    Total

    100

    GATE Preparation Tips 2027

    Candidates preparing for the upcoming GATE 2027 exam can check the GATE preparation tips. The preparation tips will help candidates prepare for the exam strategically.

    • Understand the GATE 2027 exam pattern and syllabus before starting the preparation.
    • Create a study pattern and follow it rigorously.
    • Know the high-weightage topics of the GATE 2027 syllabus and pay special attention to them.
    • Pick the Correct Reference Materials
    • Know your strengths and work on weaker areas.
    • Attempt mock tests to know the paper pattern.
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    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q: How can I download the GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027?
    A:

    Candidates can download the GATE 2027 Philosophy syllabus PDF from the official website.

    Q: How can I prepare for the GATE Philosophy exam 2027?
    A:

    To prepare for the GATE Philosophy exam 2027, candidates must refer to the GATE philosophy syllabus and exam pattern. Aspirants must take multiple GATE mock tests and practice the previous year papers to strengthen their concepts.

    Q: What is the exam pattern for GATE Philosophy 2027?
    A:

    According to the GATE philosophy exam pattern, the core subject will be held for 60 marks. While the compulsory reading comprehension section and the General aptitude section will be held for 25 and 15 marks respectively. The maximum marks is 100 marks while each question is of 1 or 2 marks. The detailed exam pattern is available in the article above.

    Q: What is the weightage of the GATE Philosophy Syllabus 2027 exam?
    A:

    The weightage for the GATE philosophy syllabus is 60%. The compulsory section- reading comprehension holds a 25% weightage while the general aptitude section has a weighatge of 15%.

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