Science

[Fr. science, Pr. sciensa, Pg. sciencia, Sp. ciencia, It. scienzia, scienza, Lat. scientia. See infra.]

1. Knowledge; penetrating and comprehensive information, skill, expertness, and the like. “Shakespeare’s deep and accurate science in mental philosophy.” Coleridge.
2. The comprehension and understanding of truth or facts; investigation of truth for its own sake; pursuit of pure knowledge. “Science perfects genius.” Dryden.
3. Truth ascertained; that which is known.
4. Hence, specifically, knowledge duly arranged, and referred to general truths and principles on which it is founded, and from which it is derived; a branch of learning considered as having a certain completeness; philosophical knowledge; profound knowledge; complete knowledge; true knowledge.

Science is . . . a complement of cognitions, having, in point of form, the character of logical perfection, and, in point of matter, the character of real truth. Sir W. Hamilton. ☞ Science is applied or pure. Applied science is a knowledge of facts, events, or phenomena, as explained, accounted for, or produced by means of powers, causes, or laws. Pure science is the knowledge of these powers, causes, or laws, considered apart, or as pure from all applications. Both these terms have a similar and special signification when applied to the science of quantity; as, the applied and pure mathematics. The seven sciences of ancient authors are grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music. Good sense, which only is the gift of Heaven, And though no science, fairly worth the seven. Pope. Syn.—Literature; art; knowledge.—SCIENCE, LITERATURE, ART. Science is literally knowledge, but more usually denotes a systematic and orderly arrangement of knowledge. In a more distinctive sense, science embraces those branches of knowledge of which the subject matter is either ultimate principles, or facts as explained by principles or laws thus arranged in natural order. The term literature sometimes denotes all compositions not embraced under science, but is usually confined to the belles-lettres. [See LITERATURE.] Art is that which depends on practice and skill in performance. “In science, scimus ut sciamus; in art, scimus ut producamus. And, therefore, science and art may be said to be investigations of truth; but science inquires for the sake of knowledge, art for the sake of production; and hence science is more concerned with the higher truths, art with the lower; and science never is engaged, like art, in productive application. And the most perfect state of science, therefore, will be the most high and accurate inquiry; the perfection of art will be the most apt and efficient system of rules, art always throwing itself into the form of rules.” Karslake.