Bas C. van Fraassen

Bastiaan Cornelis (Bas) van Fraassen is a Dutch-American philosopher of science and epistemologist born in Goes, Netherlands in 1941. He is best known for developing the theory of constructive empiricism, which he introduced in his 1980 book 'The Scientific Image,' arguing that science aims at empirically adequate theories rather than true descriptions of reality. He has held distinguished positions at Princeton University and San Francisco State University, and has made significant contributions to philosophy of science, formal logic, and the relationships between science, religion, and art.