Musings and definitions

2026-01-19 12:43 by Ian

"Science" (n.)

My notions of "science" match those of etymonline.com to at least this extent (emphasis mine):

mid-14c., "state or fact of knowing; what is known, knowledge (of something) acquired by study; information;"
[...]
(12c.), from Latin scientia "knowledge, a knowing; expertness,"

The original notion in the Latin verb probably is "to separate one thing from another, to distinguish," or else "to incise." This is related to scindere "to cut, divide" (from PIE root *skei- "to cut, split;" source also of Greek skhizein "to split, rend, cleave," Gothic skaidan, Old English sceadan "to divide, separate").

"Art" (n.)

Which I take "Art" to have the same meaning as "craft". It is, after all, short for "artifice".
"Arts and crafts" is redundant speech.
Also, one sense of "craft" is: "A device, a means; a magical device, spell or enchantment [13th century]."
"State of the art", "Dark arts", "Spellcraft"/"Magecraft", etc...

Proposal

"Technology" literally means "The study of Art (or Craft)".
And that means a "technologist" is someone who practices both art and science.

"Art" and "Science" are two dichotomous operating modes for a human mind. One which separates knowledge from the infinite expanse of non-knowledge, and one which synthesizes from knowledge and material.
Twin drives to compose and decompose. To categorize or combine.

Are you an artist or a scientist?

Yes? I think functional people need to be both. Science with no art is impotent self-importance. Art with no science is a waste of energy, time, and materials.

The dichotomy is fractal. Within the sciences, there are "theoreticians" and "experimentalists" (science-science and science-art). And within the arts, those who create prolifically without looking backward, and others who improve and curate the methods of their craft.

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