Writing Essays on

Philosophical Topics
Dr Awdhesh Singh, IRS (Retd.)
Director, Awdhesh Academy,
Former Commissioner, Customs & Indirect Taxes (Central Excise/GST)
What philosophy means?
• The word philosophy comes from the Greek philosophia, which
literally means ‘love of wisdom’.
• Wise people are those who not only have knowledge but also know
how to use it to lead a good life.
• Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems
concerning existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language.
• Philosophical methods to solve these problems include questioning,
critical discussion, rational argument and systematic presentation.
What Philosophy teach?
• What is the meaning of life?
• What is the nature of reality?
• Why people do what they do?
• Why something happens when it happens?
• What is the best way to live a life?
• What is right and what is wrong?
• What is just and what is unjust?
What philosophy provides?
• Philosophers question wordily pursuits and refuse to become part of
the rat race
• They question everything that is accepted by the common man as
truth
• They search for the truth of life to lead a happy and contented life
• ‘Life has meaning. And to find its meaning is my meat and drink.’
(Robert Browning)
• ‘Seek ye first the good things of the mind and the rest will either be
supplied or its loss will not be felt.’ (Francis Bacon)
CSE-2019
• SECTION A
• Wisdom finds truth
• Values are not what humanity is, but what humanity ought to be
• Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society
• Courage to accept and dedication to improve are two keys to success
• SECTION B
• South Asian societies are woven not around the state, but around their plural cultures
and plural identities
• Neglect of primary health care and education in India are reasons for its backwardness
• Biased media is a real threat to Indian democracy
• Rise of Artificial Intelligence: the threat of jobless future or better job opportunities
through reskilling and upskilling
Syllabus of ‘Ethics, Integrity and Aptitude’
• Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in
human actions;
• Dimensions of ethics; ethics in private and public relationships.
• Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and
administrators; Role of family, society and educational institutions in inculcating values.
• Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service ,
• Emotional intelligence- concepts, and their utilities and application in administration and
governance.
• Contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world.
• Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration:
• Ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions;
• Philosophical basis of governance and probity;
• Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct
Methodologies to write essays on
philosophical topics
1. Thesis
2. Antithesis
3. Brainstorming
4. Synthesis
5. Quotes and Anecdotes
6. Conclusion
1. Thesis
• The topics of the philosophical essays comes from the quotations of
great philosophers and thinkers.
• These quotations appears like self-evident truths
• Quote: ‘Honesty is the best policy’
• The truth evident from the topic of the essay is called the thesis
• We are tempted to accept it as a universal truth and justify it
• In reality, almost all great ideas and thoughts are hardly practiced
• In reality, most people in the world are dishonest
• Hence, for every thesis, there is an equally powerful ‘Antithesis’
2. Antithesis
• An antithesis is real, but not as well known and popular
• An antithesis is like devil, an enemy of God
• Yet devil can’t be wished away and there is so much evil in the world
• An antithesis gets formed once a thesis gets prominence
• A good philosopher does not accept anything to be true without
questioning.
• “Philosophy begins when one learns to doubt—particularly to doubt one’s
cherished beliefs, one’s dogmas and one’s axioms”. (Will Durand)
• Dogma is a fixed belief or set of beliefs that people are expected to accept without
any doubts. Example: Ten commandments
• Axiom is a statement or principle that is generally accepted to be true, but need not
be so: Example: “Governments should not negotiate with terrorists.”
Friend in need is friend indeed
• Two friends were in a jungle when they suddenly spotted a bear. One
friend who was slim and flexible immediately climbed a tree. The
other friend was fat and could not climb the tree. Finding no way to
escape, he threw himself upon the ground pretending to be dead.
• Soon the bear came and sniffed the friend lying on the ground but
took him for a corpse and went away.
• The one who was on the tree came down and asked him what the
bear had whispered into his ear.
• He replied, “He was saying that you must never travel with a friend
who deserts you at the first sign of danger.”
Anti-thesis Story
• Two friends were walking through a jungle when suddenly they saw a
tiger charging towards them.
• One of them took out a pair of shoes from his bag and started
wearing them. The other asked —“Do you think the shoes will help
you run faster than the tiger?”
• The friend replied—‘I don't have to run faster than the tiger. I have to
run only faster than you.’
3.Brainstroming
• Brainstorm the topic by asking questions to generate enough ideas to
write an essay both in favour and against a statement.
• Example: Best for an individual is not necessarily best for the society
• This topic revolves around three important hinges,
1. Individualism,
2. Society
3. Ethics (since it deals with values of the society)
Brainstorming topic “Best for an individual is
not necessarily best for the society”
• What is an individual good?
• What is a social good?
• What are the ethical concepts regarding individual and social good?
• What is the relationship between social and individual good?
• When do social and individual goods conflict with each other?
• When do social and individual assist each other?
• How the individual good is contained in the social good?
• How the social good is contained in individual good?
• How can we balance individual and social good?
4. Synthesis
• Converge the opposite ideas to create the synthesis and create a new idea
• Synthetic idea has the feature of both the thesis and anti-thesis
• Synthetic idea is a newer and more complex idea.
• Create synthesis of the opposite concepts of egoism and altruism, violence
and non-violence, equality and inequality, honesty and dishonesty
• Example:
• Usually the best of the individual is also the best for the society because an
individual is part of the society.
• When the person thinks only about his own interest ignoring the interest of the
society (egoism), it becomes harmful.
• We need to take care of ourselves before we can help others and follow altruism.
• We must balance both egoism and altruism in life for best outcome
5. Quotes and Anecdotes
• Quotes and Anecdotes makes an essay beautiful and convincing
• Use opposite idea coming from equally powerful thinker
• Use quotes of famous personalities to prove the antithesis
• To counter ‘Honesty is the best policy’, use the statement of
Chanakya: “A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut
first and honest people are harmed first.”
• To counter “Birds of a feather flock together“, use “familiarity breeds
contempt”
• Learn suitable quotes to support the thesis as well as anti-thesis.
Use moral stories and anecdotes
• Compulsory retirement of IRS officers
• Thomas Edison is a genius
• Gandhi cleans the toilet
• Gandhi refused to copy from neighbour's slate
• A boy collecting star-fishes on sea-shore
• A boy who ate too much sugar
• Two friends and a bear
• The Zen Master and a thief
6. Conclusion
• Civil services aspirants must be ethical, moral and law-abiding
• They must possess the right foundational values like integrity, empathy,
justice, compassion, impartiality etc.
• Discuss the flip side of honesty, but finally stand with honesty, integrity and
truthfulness.
• Conclusion must always be ethical, moral and legal
• Be a positive thinker, optimistic and give hope to people
• End your essay on a high note
• End with a punchline, make a rhetorical statement or leave a lasting
impression.
Practice Essays
 Best for an individual is not
necessarily best for the society
Key words in “Best for an individual is not
necessarily best for the society”
• Individualism,
• Social good
• Ethics
Brainstorming: “Best for an individual is not
necessarily best for the society”
• What is an individual good?
• What is a social good?
• What are the ethical concepts regarding individual and social good?
• What is the relationship between social and individual good?
• When do social and individual goods conflict with each other?
• When do social and individual assist each other?
• How the individual good is contained in the social good?
• How the social good is contained in individual good?
• How can we balance individual and social interest?
Egoism
• Egoism means that men are inherently selfish.
• They do everything to please themselves.
• Even when they are helping others, doing some charity or social work,
the main purpose behind it is to please themselves.
• Excessive selfishness creates conflicts and harm society
Altruism
• Altruism or selflessness is the opposite of selfishness.
• Altruism is acting out of concern for another's well-being
• Human beings are social creatures and not inherently selfish.
• We naturally feel empathy and sympathy for other people.
• ‘Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half sorrow.’ (A Swedish
Proverb)
Society and individual
• Society consists of individuals
• If society is an ocean, individuals are like drops
• Growth of society is impossible without growth of individuals
• Individual rights, freedom of expression and rule of law are important
for growth of individuals
• Excessive individualism leads to concentration of power and wealth
• Excessive socialism leads to equality, but destroys excellence in
individuals
• Individual liberty and social responsibility must go together for best
results
Quotes
• We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal;
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights;
that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Thomas
Jefferson)
• Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man
does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is
independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but
for the development of his self. (B. R. Ambedkar)
• Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country. (John F. Kennedy)
• For too long in this society, we have celebrated unrestrained individualism
over common community. (Joe Biden)
Introduction
• The importance of freedom, liberty, rights in the growth of a person
• Interest of society is contained in the interest of individual
• Excessive individualism, freedom of speech etc. harms the society
• Duty and responsibility is as important as freedom and rights
• Extreme of egoism or altruism, selfishness or selflessness are bad
Body
• Benefits of individualism
• Motivation, liberty, self-discipline, excellence, innovation, enterprise,
creativity, wealth creation
• Harmful effects of individualism
• Conflicts, inequality, concentration of wealth and power, poverty, destruction
of culture and tradition,
• Optimizing Individualism and Social responsibility
• Rule of law, protection of rights, property, law and order, social welfare
schemes, poverty alleviation programmes
Conclusion
• Individual interest and social interests are interlinked
• They must be aligned with each other.
• Unlike a drop of water which loses its identity when it joins the ocean, man
does not lose his being in the society in which he lives. Man's life is
independent. He is born not for the development of the society alone, but
for the development of his self. (B. R. Ambedkar)
• Excessive individualism is as bad as excessive control of sociality
• Society must create environment for individuals to grow and realise their
full potential
• Individuals must achieve excellence by following laws and by discharging
their social and moral responsibility
 Courage to accept and
dedication to improve are two
keys to success [CSE 2019]
Key words: “Courage to accept and dedication
to improve are two keys to success”
• Courage to accept
• Dedication to improve
• Keys to success
Brainstorming: “Courage to accept and dedication
to improve are two keys to success”
• What is the meaning of courage to accept?
• Why people lack courage to accept?
• What is the meaning of ‘dedication to improve’?
• Why people lack dedication to improve?
• How can people develop courage to accept and dedication to
improve?
• How courage to accept and dedication to improve makes a person
successful?
Quotes
• “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am
wise, so I am changing myself.” ( Rumi)
• Bura Jo Dekhan Main Chala, Bura Naa Milya Koye. Jo Munn Khoja
Apnaa, To Mujhse Bura Naa Koye (Kabir)
• (I searched for the crooked, met not a single one. When searched
myself, "I" found the crooked one)
• “Many people die at twenty five and aren't buried until they are
seventy five. (Benjamin Franklin)
Quotes
• Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more
intelligently. (Henry Ford)
• Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will
not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education
will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and
determination alone are omnipotent. (Calvin Coolidge)
• Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue
that counts. (Winston Churchill)
Introduction
• Everyone wants success in life, but few get it
• Success comes with superior abilities and performance
• People want success, but don’t want to improve
• They don’t accept their weakness
• They don’t work hard to improve themselves
• Hence, most people remains unsuccessful
Body
• Most people see good things in themselves and negative things in
others
• Looking good in you makes you happy, satisfied and complacent
• Looking evil in others makes you feel superior and blame others
• If you accept your mistakes, you have to work to improve it
• When you refuse to accept your mistakes, you remain happy and do
nothing
• When you make others responsible, you feel happy by doing nothing
• When you find mistakes in others, you try to change them by force
and get frustrated when they don’t change.
Body
• Explain the reasons why people don’t accept the reality
• Comfort zone and complacency, fear of failure, lack of confidence
• “Many people die at twenty five and aren't buried until they are
seventy five. (Benjamin Franklin)
• Important to know truth even if it is bitter
• Importance of dedication to improve
• Challenges of life and fear of failure
• Learning from failure
• Importance of perseverance
Dedication to improve
• Man has infinite capacity to improve and grow
• Changing self is not easy as people wish to remain as they are
• You have to first accept your limitations before you improve
• When you accept the reality, you may work hard to improve
Conclusion
• Everyone wants success, but few become successful.
• Success does not come by chance or by aspiring and dreaming
• Only by accepting the reality and consistently improving yourself, you can
achieve success
• Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty,
and persistence. (Colin Powell)
• "I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have.“ (Thomas
Jefferson)
• Accept your weaknesses and work hard to improve yourself to become
worthy of success
• When you deserve success, no one can deny it.