BCS Written Philosophy study guide
BCS Written Philosophy · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BCS Written Philosophy examination is an essay-based assessment used within Bangladesh's BCS (Bangladesh Civil Service) competitive recruitment process. Candidates sitting the written stage of the general cadre and related cadres choose optional subjects, and Philosophy is one of the popular optional papers. The BCS Written Philosophy study guide has 7 sections and about 1,757 words.
01History of Philosophy: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern
Candidates must be able to place thinkers in period and school, state their central doctrines, and identify the argumentative move that defines them. For the ancient period, know Plato's theory of Forms and the divided line, the cave allegory as an image of epistemic ascent, and Aristotle's four causes, hylomorphism, and virtue as a mean.
297 words, about 1 min02Metaphysics and Ontology
Metaphysics asks what exists and what it is to exist. Candidates should command the categories-versus-particulars distinction, substance and attribute ontologies, and the debate between realism and nominalism about universals.
256 words, about 1 min03Epistemology
Epistemology concerns knowledge, justification, and belief. Know the standard tripartite analysis (justified true belief) and the Gettier problem, which shows that justified true belief can fall short of knowledge.
238 words, about 1 min04Logic and Critical Reasoning
Candidates must handle both formal and informal reasoning. In formal logic, know validity versus soundness, the difference between deductive entailment and inductive support, truth tables, and the connectives.
244 words, about 1 min05Ethics and Moral Philosophy
Know the three major normative theories and their rivals. Consequentialism judges acts by outcomes, with utilitarianism as its classic form; distinguish act from rule utilitarianism and note the demandingness and integrity objections.
243 words, about 1 min06Social and Political Philosophy
Political philosophy asks about legitimacy, justice, liberty, and obligation. Understand the social contract tradition: Hobbes on security and sovereign power, Locke on natural rights and consent, Rousseau on the general will.
234 words, about 1 min07Philosophy of Mind, Language, and Science
This domain spans three connected fields. Philosophy of mind: the mind-body problem, dualism versus physicalism, behaviourism, identity theory, functionalism, and the hard problem of consciousness; also intentionality and the Chinese room argument.
245 words, about 1 min