Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
Prior to the establishment of the Department of Philosophy and Religion in 1968, instruction in those subjects was sporadic. Religion courses were occasionally taught by local clergy, with the first mention of this arrangement appearing in the 1947–48 course catalog. Philosophy courses, by contrast, were taught by college faculty.
Philosophy has been part of the curriculum since the university’s founding. The Morrill Act, which established land-grant institutions like South Dakota State University, required instruction in ""moral philosophy."" A Chair of Psychology and Philosophy was created in 1885, and a Department of Philosophy was established in 1906. For a time, it included philosophy, psychology, and education before these disciplines were moved under the Department of Education in 1913. In 1967, a Department of Psychology and Philosophy was briefly reestablished before splitting the following year into separate departments for psychology and for philosophy and religion.
The department began offering minors in philosophy (1975) and religion (1978). Although efforts were made to establish a philosophy major, the Board of Regents denied the request.
Philosophy and religion courses remain open to students of any major. The study of these subjects is intended to broaden students’ perspectives and explore foundational questions in human thought. The program is now part of the Department of History, Political Science, Philosophy, and Religion.