When was Bas van Fraassen born?

Bas van Fraassen was born in 1941.

Where was Bas van Fraassen from?

Bas van Fraassen is a Dutch-American philosopher of the Contemporary era.

What philosophical movements is Bas van Fraassen associated with?

Bas van Fraassen is associated with Analytic Philosophy.

How many quotes are attributed to Bas van Fraassen?

There are 7 attributed quotations from Bas van Fraassen in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.

Bas van Fraassen b. 1941

Bas van Fraassen (born 1941) is a Dutch-American philosopher of the Contemporary era, associated with Analytic Philosophy.

Bas C. van Fraassen is a Dutch-born American philosopher of science, distinguished professor emeritus at Princeton University and former professor at San Francisco State University, and the principal contemporary defender of constructive empiricism in the philosophy of science. The Scientific Image, his 1980 manifesto, defended a version of empiricism in which the aim of science is empirical adequacy rather than truth about unobservable entities, and so allowed the working scientist a sober agnosticism about the deeper metaphysical claims often associated with realism. His later books on quantum mechanics, on representation, and on empirical stance have shaped the philosophy of science in the twenty-first century.

Key facts

Nationality: Dutch-American
Era: Contemporary
Movements: Analytic Philosophy

Selected quotes

Attributed to Bas van Fraassen:

“The aim of science is to give us theories that are empirically adequate; truth about the unobservable is a bonus we cannot guarantee.”
Attributed to Bas van Fraassen:

“Constructive empiricism is realism's twin, distinguished only by the question of what is to be believed.”
Attributed to Bas van Fraassen:

“To accept a theory is not to believe it true; it is to commit to using it for empirical inquiry.”
Attributed to Bas van Fraassen:

“Empiricism is a stance, not a doctrine; it is the discipline of asking what experience can support.”
Attributed to Bas van Fraassen:

“The image of science is what philosophy of science properly studies; the science is for the scientists.”

Read all Bas van Fraassen quotes

Frequently asked about Bas van Fraassen

When was Bas van Fraassen born?: Bas van Fraassen was born in 1941.
Where was Bas van Fraassen from?: Bas van Fraassen is a Dutch-American philosopher of the Contemporary era.
What philosophical movements is Bas van Fraassen associated with?: Bas van Fraassen is associated with Analytic Philosophy.
What is Bas van Fraassen known for?: Bas C.
How many quotes are attributed to Bas van Fraassen?: There are 7 attributed quotations from Bas van Fraassen in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.