# Dijkstra's Views on Theory, Academia, and Programming Languages

DevFeed: [Dijkstra's Views on Theory, Academia, and Programming Languages](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/leibniz-s-dream-and-dijkstra-s-nightmare-40518.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://www.jeremykun.com/shortform/2025-05-13-2107/>)

Published: 2025-05-13T14:23:11Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Jeremy Kun](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/jeremy-kun.md>)

Topics: [Programming](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/programming.md>)

Tags: [essays](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/essays.md>), [programming](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming.md>), [programming-languages](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/programming-languages.md>), [shortform](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/shortform.md>)

## AI overview

The author reflects on Edsger Dijkstra's speech "Under the spell of Leibniz's Dream," focusing on its view that elegant theory can have practical value. They critique Dijkstra's dismissive attitude toward industry, students, and modern universities, while discussing his praise of ALGOL 60 and its language innovations.

## Source excerpt

I was inspired to browse some of Edsger Dijkstra's essays today, and came across his speech, "Under the spell of Leibniz's Dream". It's the sort of personal history I love to read, which gives one person's sense of the world over a period of change. One quote that immediately struck me was his view of his country's spirit after WWII: An important side-effect of the hard times was the creation of a spiritual climate in which the distinction between pure and applied science had vanished: of all the things you could do, you just did the most urgent one, and the development of some urgently needed theory was often the most practical thing to do.