The idea of 'science' (scientia, science, Wissenschaft) changed dramatically in the course of history: While it was understood as an epistemologically privileged endeavor from antiquity to the 19th century, the status of science and its demarcation from other intellectual activities became more and more problematic in the course of the 20th century. This outline sums up findings from 'Begriffsgeschichte' of the last 50 years and argues that history of ideas in this sense can contribute to a topical and balanced understanding of science that avoids dull scientism and a postmodernist view, which both result from a lack of determination and demarcation of science.