Realism in Science

Realism in science is the view that the world described by scientific theories exists independently of our observations. It suggests that the entities and processes scientists describe—like atoms or forces—are real, even if we can't see them directly. Realists believe that successful scientific theories provide true representations of the world, reflecting its underlying nature. This contrasts with anti-realism, which suggests that theories are merely useful tools for predicting observations without necessarily describing reality. In essence, realism asserts a belief in a reality beyond our immediate experience, which science seeks to uncover through investigation and evidence.