What is Computer Science?
Who cares?
Is Computer Science an art? Science? Engineering discipline?
I counter this question with 1.5 questions of my own: do we need to come to a strict conclusion about what Computer Science is? If so, why?
Computer Science is very general (not to mention it's still a very
new field). It encompasses a lot: it is basically a field composed
of all the classical disciplines, which come together to form a brand
new field that means completely different things depending on your
aspirations.
There is no right or wrong answer here (to my dismay...).
What Computer Science means to me is not what Computer
Science means to the next guy, and there is nothing wrong with
this. I wouldn't say it's a field that hasn't found its place yet in
the world, instead it's a field whose place is everywhere.
What's great about this idea is that Computer Science can be completely tailored to what your desires are. There are probably many people who aspire to be an engineer and are using Computer Science to get there. But on the other hand, there are probably a handful of people who consider themselves scientists and think Computer Science is the ultimate embodiment of what it means to acquire knowledge that describes and predicts the world. There are the artists too, and even the philosophers. How my mind percieves the idea of Computer Science affects my thoughts on what kind of discipline I think it is.
That being said, my own daydreams of Computer Science has morphed the idea into a discipline made up of equal parts 1) art and philosophy and 2) science. In my anxious, indecisive, waffling mind, I can still be sure of one thing: Computer Science is not engineering. At least, not for me. I am not making a civic profession out of Computer Science. I do not 'orchestrate the erection of bridges and buildings'; I do not 'design vehicles and heavy machinery'; I do not 'invent and realize the energy systems that drive that equipment'; and I do not 'contrive methods for connecting all of those systems together'.
In the Engineering Department, I feel like a fraud.
I am a philosopher, an artist, and first and foremost a scientist. Let's take a look at my good friend Wikipedia's definitions of art, philosophy, and science:
Art
Art is a diverse range of human activities in creating visual, auditory or performing artifacts (artworks), expressing the author's imaginative or technical skill, intended to be appreciated for their beauty or emotional power.
Philosophy
Philosophy is a study that aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of intangible aspects of reality and experience that cannot be physically measured.
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Those definitions couldn't be more perfect if I'd made them myself.
When I learn something new (in the realm of Computer Science), I immediately think about why and how it was created. Usually, I am very enthralled by the beauty behind the work. I would love to spend everyday of the rest of my life just trying to gain a sturdy grasp on how such a man-made study could be so incredibly beautiful, unless it isn't actually man-made. That's why Computer Science is both art and philosophy.
But, due to the nature of Computer Science, there is no way to advance the field by studying how beautiful and philosophical it is without forming explanations, predictions, and ultimately experiments. This is why Computer Science is fundamentally a science.