Scientific Realism: Bas C. van Fraassen

Scientific realism is the idea that the world described by science, including its theories and entities (like atoms or forces), accurately represents reality. Bas C. van Fraassen, a prominent philosopher, critiques this view by advocating for constructive empiricism, which suggests that the aim of science is not to find the absolute truth about unobservable entities, but rather to develop theories that are empirically adequate—meaning they effectively explain and predict observable phenomena. In this context, scientific realism asserts a commitment to the reality of scientific theories, while van Fraassen emphasizes the importance of empirical evidence over unobservable claims.