From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!duke!bcw
Newsgroups: net.misc
Title: Re: Computer Science
Article-I.D.: duke.2223
Posted: Tue Jun 15 21:53:11 1982
Received: Fri Jun 18 03:07:44 1982


Re:	Computer "science"
From:	Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University

It seems to me that since the root of "science" simply means
"knowledge" (hence the motto of the Naval Academy "ex scientia
tridens" -- "from knowledge, sea power"), there is no reason
for any of the "-science" disciplines (computer science,
political science, ...) to apologize for their use of the
term.  This doesn't mean that *any* of them follow the Baconian
world view (for want of a better term) like most of the
"established" sciences such as physics.

Computer science seems to divide into two parts, one which
is closely allied with mathematics and one which is simply
engineering under a different label.  Most of what is meant
by the term falls exclusively under the latter label, but I
see no reason why it doesn't deserve the label "science."

			Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University