ESSAY PAPER 1 UPSC CSE Mains 2023 Essay Question Paper PDF Download.

UPSC Essay Paper 2023

Section A

1. Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team .
2. Visionary Decision-Making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
3. Not all who wander are lost.
4. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.

Section B

1. Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
2. Mathematics is the music of reason.
3. A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
4. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.

Analysis

Section A

1. Thinking is like a game, it does not begin unless there is an opposite team.
   • This seems like a contemporary way of describing dialectic thinking, where opposite ideas are pitted against each other to arrive at a higher truth. You might want to look into the works of Hegel or Plato for more on dialectics.
2. Visionary Decision-Making happens at the intersection of intuition and logic.
   • This quote might be influenced by business literature or leadership studies that emphasize the importance of both rational analysis and intuitive thinking. Authors like Malcolm Gladwell (“Blink”) or Daniel Kahneman (“Thinking, Fast and Slow”) might offer more insights.
3. Not all who wander are lost.
   • This is a line from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings”. It emphasizes the idea that wandering or exploring is not necessarily an aimless endeavor.
4. Inspiration for creativity springs from the effort to look for the magical in the mundane.
   • This thought finds echoes in various creative philosophies and teachings. You might find similar ideas in books about creativity, such as “Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert or “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron.

Section B

1. Girls are weighed down by restrictions, boys with demands – two equally harmful disciplines.
   • This quote deals with gender norms and expectations, and can be studied in light of feminist theory or social studies on gender. Simone de Beauvoir’s “The Second Sex” might be a relevant source.
2. Mathematics is the music of reason.
   • This quote is reminiscent of the work of philosophers and mathematicians who have talked about the beauty and elegance of mathematics, such as Bertrand Russell or G.H. Hardy’s “A Mathematician’s Apology.”
3. A society that has more justice is a society that needs less charity.
   • This could be linked to discussions on social justice and the welfare state. For more on this, you might look into the works of philosophers like John Rawls, who wrote “A Theory of Justice.”
4. Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.
   • This quote is attributed to Albert Einstein and speaks to the idea that true education goes beyond just memorizing facts. It’s more about understanding, application, and wisdom.