学界对科学技术哲学（自然辩证法）的学科性质、学科体系构成及未来走向均有不同理解。作为学科的科学技术哲学（自然辩证法）具有中国特色，它是马克思主义哲学的一个重要组成部分。如果把科学技术哲学看做是科学哲学、技术哲学的合称，它是一个学科群，科学哲学、技术哲学是各自独立的学科。科学哲学作为一个成熟的学科，学界在研讨其传统问题的基础上，逐渐给出了自己的回答，并对其未来走向做出了预测。技术哲学作为一个新兴的学科，其发展态势较好，学科规范也正在构建中。

Philosophy of science and technology（natural dialectic）, as a discipline with Chinese characteristics, constitutes an important part of Marxist philosophy. Yet, there are controversies over its disciplinary nature, system formation and future trends of development in the academia. If philosophy of science and technology is viewed as an abbreviated term for philosophy of science and philosophy of technology, it is a discipline group, as philosophy of science and philosophy of technology are independent subjects themselves. Philosophy of science is a mature discipline, as its traditional issues have been addressed by the academia and predictions have been made concerning its future trends, whereas philosophy of technology, as a newly emerging subject, has displayed great vitality, with its disciplinary norms in the making.