Pre-History of the Philosophy (and Religion) Department
Program History PRE-HISTORY OF THE PHILOSOPHY (AND RELIGION) DEPARTMENT
Program History PRE-HISTORY OF THE PHILOSOPHY (AND RELIGION) DEPARTMENT
by Harlan B. Miller
by Harlan B. Miller
At the very beginning, 1872, a course in "moral philosophy" was offered at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. It was required for both the farmer and mechanic programs and was taught by President Minor. In the terminology of the Nineteenth Century, moral philosophy, covering territory now assigned to the Departments of Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, and perhaps others as well as Philosophy, was contrasted with natural philosophy, i.e., the physical sciences. The first listing of the moral philosophy course specifically mentions political economy, psychology, and ethics. A few years later, in the 1880s, the moral (or "moral and mental") philosophy course is listed with English and includes some logic. In 1891 logic drops from the catalogue, but ethics, no longer called "moral philosophy," remains. The ethics course endures through the 1897-98 catalogue, but the 1898-99 catalogue of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute shows no ethics, no logic, no philosophy of any kind. From 1899 through 1950 philosophy is absent from the Blacksburg campus, except for a course in logic which appears in 1916 in the Rhetoric Department, moves with rhetoric into the English Department, but disappears after 1920. Little concrete evidence remains of the content of philosophy classes in the early period. The present departments of Philosophy and of Religion trace their origins to 1950. In that year a student survey showed support for the addition of elective courses in "religion, philosophy, and ethics."
At the very beginning, 1872, a course in "moral philosophy" was offered at Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. It was required for both the farmer and mechanic programs and was taught by President Minor. In the terminology of the Nineteenth Century, moral philosophy, covering territory now assigned to the Departments of Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Psychology, and perhaps others as well as Philosophy, was contrasted with natural philosophy, i.e., the physical sciences. The first listing of the moral philosophy course specifically mentions political economy, psychology, and ethics. A few years later, in the 1880s, the moral (or "moral and mental") philosophy course is listed with English and includes some logic. In 1891 logic drops from the catalogue, but ethics, no longer called "moral philosophy," remains. The ethics course endures through the 1897-98 catalogue, but the 1898-99 catalogue of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute shows no ethics, no logic, no philosophy of any kind. From 1899 through 1950 philosophy is absent from the Blacksburg campus, except for a course in logic which appears in 1916 in the Rhetoric Department, moves with rhetoric into the English Department, but disappears after 1920. Little concrete evidence remains of the content of philosophy classes in the early period. The present departments of Philosophy and of Religion trace their origins to 1950. In that year a student survey showed support for the addition of elective courses in "religion, philosophy, and ethics."