Bas van Fraassen

Bas van Fraassen is a prominent philosopher known for his work in the philosophy of science, particularly for developing "constructive empiricism." He argues that scientific theories do not need to be true but should be empirically adequate—meaning they should accurately describe observable phenomena. Van Fraassen emphasizes that science aims to create models that explain and predict rather than discover absolute truths. His ideas also engage with non-classical logic and challenges traditional views on scientific explanation, stressing the importance of how scientific claims relate to perception and experience, rather than a commitment to an unobservable reality.