Philosophy

What is Philosophy

Philosophy is a discipline that tries to question and analyse the various aspects of life. It uses logical reasoning and critical thinking to understand the world and our experiences in it. The whole field revolves around exploring and discovering our existence and its various reasons. It encourages questions and opens the mind to various possibilities.  The word “Philosophy ” is derived from Greek and means “the Love for Wisdom”. As the meaning suggests, the study is dedicated to imbibing knowledge. It questions existence, society’s definition of values and in-depth questions about the functioning and reasoning of our mind.

Those who like exploring and discovering new aspects of life would enjoy learning philosophy. Philosophy helps people develop critical eyes. Learning philosophy helps you write and read well. The whole concept of logic is given a whole new meaning. It helps you catch poor reasoning, and helps you avoid writing and speaking with logic. Philosophy with another discipline, would help you enhance your knowledge. There are various courses available in Philosophy. You could start with your undergraduate studies, move on to postgraduate and later on even earn a doctorate in the subject. This is a dynamic field and offers new concepts and lessons every day.  More than text-book learning, it encourages you to learn from observation and analysis along with personal experiences.

Eligibility Criteria (UG & PG) of Philosophy

Eligibility Criteria for UG

There is basic criteria that is specified by various colleges. They are as listed below:

• The students should have completed 10th and 12th from a recognised board and institute.
• The student should have obtained a minimum of 45% at the 10+2 level.
• Some colleges depend on the entrance exams for admissions. Those who score well in these exams will be provided admissions.

Eligibility Criteria for PG

Here is the criteria students should keep in their minds before applying for the postgraduate programme:

• The students should have completed 10th and 12th from a recognised board and institute.
• The student should have obtained a minimum of 45% at the 10+2 level.
• The student should have a basic degree in any field, with a minimum of 55%.
• The colleges also conduct entrance exams during admissions.  The students must score well in these exams in order to obtain admission.

Before applying for the courses, the students must ensure that they keep a note of all the requirements specified by the respective colleges. They are advised to follow the instructions mentioned on the college website for the same.

Entrance Exams

The colleges that offer philosophy usually conduct entrance examinations to determine the qualification of the student for the course. They use entrance exams to assess the student’s knowledge of the subject and their interest for the same. Here are few examinations that are usually conducted by colleges for a course in Philosophy.

• GATA- Goenka Aptitude Test for Admission is conducted during the admission process for the Philosophy courses. It tests the student’s logical reasoning, mathematical skills and English.
• BHU PET- The entrance examination is conducted by the Banaras Hindu University. This exam is conducted for various courses, including the course in philosophy.
• PUEE- Patna University entrance examination is conducted by Patna University. It allows candidates into various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. 
• JNU Entrance Exam- This exam is conducted by Jawaharlal Nehru University.  The exam is conducted for admission to the Philosophy programme.
• DUET - This exam is conducted by Delhi University. It offers admission to students into various undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
• MUEE- Mewar University conducts this exam. After passing the exam, students are provided admission in the college

These are the entrance exams that are conducted by various colleges. The entrance exams differ from each college.

Required Skillset for Philosophy

These are certain skills that one must develop if they wish to work in this field:

Analytical skills- Analytical skills are very important in this field. One must be able to analyse the situations and the information provided to them. They cannot directly jump to conclusions, but must instead analyse everything and then make their case.

Problem-solving skills- Problem-solving skill requires you to come up with solutions quickly that can resolve issues. It does not refer to superficial solutions. Those studying philosophy must train their mind to think on their feet.

Reading and Research- Philosophy revolves around, reading a lot of materials. You can’t stick to certain books. You must be interested in reading, and you must be able to process and understand the information that you read.

The quench to learn more- You should never limit your learning process. You should be someone who wants to learn more and explore more. The more you try, the more knowledge you will acquire.

Reasoning- Philosophy is a field that encourages its aspirants to reason well and with logic. It pushes people to reason out why certain things are done a certain way. Only when you are able to reason well, will you be able to understand the true reason for a lot of concepts and phenomena.

Critical thinking- The most crucial of all skills is the ability to think critically. When you are challenged with a piece of information, the only way you can bring out a rational decision is by thinking critically. Philosophy usually deals with topics that are not challenged or spoken about in conventional conversations. If you need to bring out the right reasoning of issues, you must think critically.

Communication skills- When you learn and discover new concepts and thinking, you should also be able to explain it to others. You should be able to debate well and explain concepts to people well.

These are just a few skills. A lot of these skills will help students master this field. Students will also gain expertise in the above-mentioned skills while they complete the course and practise the field.