Does Computer Science Need Computers?

Computer science emerged as a distinct academic field in the mid-20th century, blending traditions from mathematics and engineering.

In 1967, computer scientists Allen Newell, Alan Perlis, and Herbert Simon argued in a Science journal letter that computer science is the study of computers because 'there are computers.' They countered critics who claimed science must focus on natural phenomena by comparing computer science to chemistry, which studies intentionally designed artificial systems.

In 1969, Herbert Simon expanded this idea in his book The Sciences of the Artificial, emphasizing that computer science’s uniqueness lies in examining human-created systems rather than natural ones.

This perspective framed computer science as a science of the artificial, distinct from fields like physics or biology.