IGNOU BPYC-108 Assignment 2026
Contemporary Western Philosophy
Last updated by IGNOU: 31 Aug 2026. Guide written from the official PDF on 19 Oct 2026, 05:17 pm.
| Course code | BPYC-108 |
|---|---|
| Course title |
About the BPYC-108 assignment
The BPYC-108 assignment covers major traditions and thinkers in contemporary Western philosophy. Topics include Analytic and Continental philosophy, phenomenology, existentialism, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud, Critical Theory, structuralism, hermeneutics, theories of meaning and pragmatism.
There are five compulsory main questions worth 20 marks each, with internal choices. Questions 1 and 2 require about 400 words each. Question 3 asks for two answers of about 200 words each, Question 4 requires four answers of about 150 words each, and Question 5 requires five short notes of about 100 words each.
What the assignment asks
| Question | Marks | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Question 1 | 20 | Discuss Continental philosophy and its differences from Analytic philosophy, or examine contemporary Western philosophy and the emergence and importance of its Analytic and Continental traditions. |
| Question 2 | 20 | Explain Husserl’s phenomenology through intentionality and epoché, or critically examine Heidegger’s Dasein and its importance for existential philosophy. |
| Question 3 | 2 × 10 = 20 | Choose two topics covering Marx’s alienation and historical materialism, Nietzsche’s criticism of morality and the death of God, Freud’s unconscious and personality structure, or Critical Theory and the Frankfurt School. |
| Question 4 | 4 × 5 = 20 | Choose four topics covering Saussure’s structuralism, structuralism versus post-structuralism, Gadamer’s hermeneutics, Wittgenstein’s picture theory, Russell’s logical atomism and William James’ pragmatism. |
| Question 5 | 5 × 4 = 20 | Write five short notes chosen from alienated labour, will to power, Dasein, différance, logical positivism, the verification principle, ordinary language philosophy and communicative rationality. |
This is a summary of each question. Download the official PDF above for the exact questions and word limits.
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