how academic to claim that programmers only implement ideas of others.. is the insight in the new theory, or the revolutionary application of the abstract theory?
That's a way to read it, but I don't think that's what he necessarily says. He says: "Those who do not become computer scientists to the second degree risk turning into programmers who will only implement the ideas of others." You can also read it as: "There are two kind of programmers; if you are a computer scientist to the second degree you risk turning into a second-type programmer."
Well, if programmers don't know the amazing new abstract theory they can't apply it. And admit it, most programmer ideas are about business and code.