This paper represents introductory class material on linguistics. A definition of "linguistics" is attempted through a definition of "science" and "language." The American structuralist conception of linguistics as a science is characterized by the view that linguistics is the application of the inductive methods to the collection and analysis of language data. The generativist conception of linguistics as a science is characterized by the view that the description of a language is a deductive theory in which the sentences of the language are generated from rules of grammar. The language that is studied by a linguist is characterized as "human" and "natural." These terms are examined: human language as opposed to animal communication; and natural language as opposed to artificial and scientific language. Finally, linguistics is distinguished from other disciplines which are also concerned with human language by the fact that language is the primary object of study in linguistics, while in other disciplines language is ancillary. Finally, various branches of linguistics are discussed as they relate to structural and synchronic linguistics. (AM)