This document outlines a course on Philosophy and Philosophical Thinking for PhD students. The course is non-credit bearing and will be delivered in the first semester. It aims to provide students with basic philosophical knowledge and skills in critical thinking, logical analysis, argumentation, and understanding different beliefs. Key topics that will be covered include major areas of philosophy like ontology, epistemology, and axiology, as well as moral philosophy, aesthetics, physical and metaphysical reality, and critical thinking. Assessment will include exams, assignments, presentations and discussions. Teaching methods will include lectures, group work, and independent learning activities.

1. Course Unit code:
Title: Philosophy & Philosophical Thinking
Credit Rating: Non-Credit
Level: PhD Program
Delivery: Semester-1
Tutor/s: Prof Dr Tariq Mahmood Ansari & Visiting Faculty
Pre-requisites: None
Philosophy &
Philosophical Thinking
COURSE OUTLINE FOR PH.D. OF ALL SUBJECTS

2. Aims & Objectives
 To provide basic knowledge and understanding of
Philosophy.
 To develop critical thinking, logical analysis and the ability
to make a value judgment.
 To equip with the ability to make arguments, give
reasoning and deduct meaningful results leading to
discovering universal truth.
 To make them able to understand moral philosophy and
live with harmony in a world of different beliefs.
 To give knowledge and skill for the creation and
application of ideas.

3. Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the Ph.D. scholar is expected to
have developed the following abilities and skills:
 Review, analyze and critically evaluate the philosophical
questions that come across during the journey of
conducting research and finding the truth.
 Appreciation of beauty, morality, truth, critical thinking
and logical reasoning.
 Enhance vision about knowledge, beliefs as well as
physical and metaphysical reality.

4. Key Transferable Skills
 Learning skills to do in-depth analysis and make a value
judgment of the already available knowledge.
 Acquire the ability to understand and raise philosophical
questions with a logical explanation.
 Learn about self, surroundings, truth, physical and
metaphysical reality.

5. Course Contents
The session-wise break-up of the course contents
SESSION CONTENTS
Session-1 Introduction and interaction
Concept of Philosophy & philosophical Thinking
Session-2 Definition of philosophical terms
Session-3 Major kinds of philosophy (Ontology)
Session-4 Major kinds of philosophy (Epistemology)
Session-5 Major kinds of philosophy (Axiology)
Session-6 Moral philosophy and cultural relativism
Session-7 Truth and the mystery of knowledge
Session-8 Mid-Term Exam
Session-9 Aesthetics and beauty
Session-10 Physical and metaphysical reality
Session-11 Critical thinking and FRISCO approach
Session-12 Critical appreciation and value judgment
Session-13 Logical and critical writing
Session-14 Assignment-1 (Presentation & Discussion)
Session-15 Assignment-2 (Presentation & Discussion)
Session-16 Final-Term Exams

6. Teaching and Learning
Methods
 Formal lectures and discussions with accompanying pre-readings
and activity sessions in which Ph.D. scholars break off into
smaller groups. The activity groups are likely to be based on
thematic reading with discussion on philosophical questions
raised through readings. It will also include creating social
coherence, sessions for thematic preparation, group work,
lectures, slide presentations, discussions, Individual and small
group presentations, and seminars.

7. Learning methods &
techniques
 Group discussion, Interactive sessions, independent learning, Creative
work, Material search (books/reports/documents/internet).
 Assignment/Essay/Project/Material preparation /Research

8. Assessment
 Both formative and summative assessment techniques will be used for
learning assessment.
 (Formative assessment is a continuous process of evaluation during the
entire course while summative assessment measures learning at regular
intervals and at the end of a course. The assessment will be done for
calculating your grade on the following parameters).

9. Philosophy and
Philosophical Thinking
Philosophy (from Greek, by way of Latin, Philosophia, “ Love of
Wisdom”) the rational, abstract and methodical consideration of reality
as a whole.
Definitions
• * Philosophy is the systematized study of general and fundamental
questions such as that about existence, reason, knowledge, values,
mind and language.
• * Philosophy is the pursuit of wisdom, truth and knowledge.
• * The Study of fundamental nature of knowledge, reality and existence
especially hen considered as an academic discipline.
• * A theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behavior.

10. Some Renowned
Philosophers
 Confucious (551-479 BC)
 Socrates (470-399 BC)
 Plato (428-348/47 BC)
 Aristotle (384—322 BC)
 Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
 John Loche (1632—1704)
 Karl Marx (1818-83)
 Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
 Sir Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal (1877 -1938 )
 Jean Paul Sartre (1905-80)